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Does anybody remember a short (60 minute?) film, broadcast on "The Wonderful World of Disney" in the 1960's, focusing on the life of a (fictional) young female dancer at a company that was either the Royal Danish Ballet, or some made-up company modeled on it? I remember that the plot centered on the sacrifices a ballet dancer has to make to succeed in the competitive world of dance.

My memories of it are dim, but I know I saw it, and I cannot find anything about it on imdb.com or anywhere else. I would love it if someone out there remembered it too, and could tell me more details. I was just starting to become interested in ballet, and this movie really affected me. But I was probably 10, so I can't remember much. Anyone?

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It's called "Ballerina" and was released as a feature film in Europe, but (as you remember) a TV episode in the U.S. The company was the Royal Danish Ballet, and used several of their dancers (including Kirsten Simone, as the young girl's mentor, and Henning Kronstam as their partner), as well as actors from the Royal Theatre. The young ballerina was Mette Honningen, who became one of the star ballerinas of her generation. Jenny Agutter had a big role as the a young dance student.

It's awfully hokey today, I think -- almost unintentionally funny. The mother has to leave the performances to scurry home to get supper on the table, and has most of her conversations with her daughter while ironing. She constantly worries that her daughter won't have a full life, like hers, if she becomes a dancer.

Dance sequences include bits of "Coppelia" (but a standard production, not the Danish one); a nameless ballet by the choreographer, whose name I forget; a tiny bit of the reel in "La Sylphide" (with Peter Martins in the corps); and some rehearsal footage.

I don't think it's commercially available.

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Not forgetting the boyfriend, who bicycles through the rain to fetch his soccer coach, who tapes up Mette H's ankle, which she sprained right before the performance...... :flowers:

I saw a copy that had been taped off TV in California about 15 years ago. Now THERE'S a warm trail :) But the Disney channel, or some other cable channel may broadcast it again, so keep an eye out.

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I also caught part of "Ballerina" on the Disney Channel while flipping through the channels one restless night a few years ago. It was broadcast in two parts on consecutive nights, so I only saw the second half that I'd happened upon. I too got a kick out of it, corny as it was. (I understand the cast also found it rather entertaining when they saw the final product.) Do send a bulletin to the board if it ever materializes again--I'd love to see the whole thing!

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