Dancers Reviews

Though it began as a straight filming of "Giselle," a la Franco Zeffirelli, DANCERS evolved into a telling of a behind-the-scenes story of a ballet company, which is interwoven with the dance. Tony Sergoyev (Mikhail Baryshnikov), the world's finest ballet dancer, is auditioning dancers and beginning rehearsals for a film production of "Giselle." He is engaged to Contessa (Mariangela Melato) and has been involved with a number of his troupe's dancers. He turns his attention to 17-year-old ingenue Lisa (Julie Kent), who is auditioning for a place in the company. Heavily cliched and downright silly at times, DANCERS exists for Baryshnikov's brilliance and the talent of his American Ballet Theater dancers. Director Herbert Ross, who began his career as a choreographer, knows better than most how to photograph dance scenes. Baryshnikov, who is also credited with staging the ballet sequences, is a fine actor as well as a great dancer.