Polina 2017

Polina is accepted into a childhood ballet program

Polina auditions for a ballet school as a child and earns acceptance. The head teacher Bojinski notices her talent and becomes particularly hard on her, pushing her through strict training. This early praise and pressure shape her love for dance while exposing the demanding nature of classical training.

Bojinski shapes Polina's technique with a rigorous hand

Bojinski's rigorous approach continues to shape Polina's technique and performance style. He singles her out for his harsh coaching, believing her talent must be disciplined. The intensity of the training foreshadows the tension between art and personal freedom in her career.

Polina earns a place at the Bolshoi Ballet

Polina is accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, fulfilling the long-held dream of her teachers and family. The new company offers her a prestigious platform but also intensifies the demands on her. She begins to navigate the pressures and expectations of a major Russian company.

A festival reveals a different path: Aix-en-Provence

After attending a festival, Polina experiences a different style of dance that inspires her to explore modern movement. She decides to audition for a modern dance school in Aix-en-Provence with her boyfriend Adrien. The choice signals a potential shift away from strictly classical training.

Adrien joins a modern dance program

Adrien and Polina are accepted into the Aix-en-Provence program, but they are warned that modern dance is very different from classical training. Polina struggles with the new choreography, highlighting the clash between her background and the contemporary approach. The warning foreshadows the emotional and artistic challenges to come.

Injury and upheaval in the modern company

During a rehearsal Polina injures her ankle, sidelining her from the project. Her understudy Sonia takes her place and begins an affair with Adrien, sowing personal turmoil within the company. The combination of physical setback and relationship drama compounds her sense of failure.

Polina is told she's not emotionally ready; she leaves

After she heals, Polina asks for her role back, but choreographer Liria tells her she is not emotionally ready. Frustrated and disheartened, she leaves the modern company rather than fight for a place. This departure marks a turning point toward pursuing her own path.

Polina seeks work in Antwerp; auditions for a mysterious impresario

Polina travels to Antwerp and calls the number of the first dance company she sees. She auditions for a strange man who wants her to make him feel something through dance, but the audition is unsuccessful. Before leaving, she glimpses a man teaching dance to kids, hinting at other possible paths.

Hardship and resilience: a waitressing job

Unable to find work, Polina becomes homeless and survives by taking a waitressing job in a bar. This period tests her resilience and keeps her connected to the dance world through memory and longing. The hardship strengthens her resolve to return to her art.

Polina reconnects with Karl and rediscovers dance

She returns to the site of the failed audition and meets Karl, a dancer who teaches improv. He invites her to attend his class, and Polina experiences a renewed joy in dancing. Together they choreograph a duet for the two of them to dance.

Polina's father dies; a homeward journey to Moscow

Polina's father dies, prompting a trip to Moscow. Her mother reminds her that her father always wanted her to be a great dancer. The loss deepens her sense of duty to fulfill that dream.