Finally, a Ballet Video That Gets It Right

July 21, 2017

It’s no secret that ballet in pop culture has sparked its fair share of controversy. Which is why this video from Refinery29, featuring ABT’s Isabella Boylston, is not only a super-fun watch, but a breath of fresh air.

The series, called “Lucie For Hire,” follows R29 video editor and YouTuber Lucie Fink as she tries on different professions for a day. When it came time to be a professional ballerina, Fink decided to learn the ropes from Boylston, naturally. Now, the opening of the video made my heart skip a beat—and for all the wrong reasons: I saw feet in pointe shoes, and they definitely weren’t Boylston’s. But R29 clearly knows what’s up. Fink immediately says she wouldn’t be wearing them because “It takes years and years to learn how to dance on pointe properly.” Boylston teaches Fink the ballet basics, from the barre to the bun, and the pair tackle some Swan Lake choreo. Check out the entire clip below (and if you’re a brand planning on featuring ballet in the future, take notes!):