Wiseman ballet doc La Danse returns for ten showings at Siskel

Marie-Agnès Gillot in Wayne McGregor’s “Genus.” Photo: Laurent Philippe

We’re as stoked as you are for the theatrical release of Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (read Ben Kenigsberg’s first take from Toronto), but it’s still two weeks away. Neatly filling that gap is a limited engagement at Gene Siskel Film Center of Frederick Wiseman’s 2009 documentary, La Danse. Clocking in at two hours, 38 minutes, you’ll want to choose your ticket wisely, but it’s time very well spent. Seven works were active in rehearsal and performance as Wiseman’s cameras roamed through the Paris Opera Ballet’s day-to-day; to call it an A-List would be an understatement. Pina Bausch, Mats Ek, Pierre Lacotte, Wayne McGregor, Rudolf Nureyev, Angelin Preljocaj and Sasha Waltz dances are all given generous screen time and, while you won’t see any of them beginning-to-end, you’ll walk out with a strong sense of the state of this art.

(One common complaint about this film is that, while its end credits are comprehensive, Wiseman doesn’t provide titles letting you know who’s who. Feel free to drop me a note if you’re curious about anyone in particular.)

Time Out Chicago review: La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet

Showtimes are after the jump.

La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet

Sat, Nov 20th at 3:00pm
Sun, Nov 21st at 2:15pm
Fri, Nov 26th at 3:00pm
Sat, Nov 27th at 2:30pm
Sat, Nov 27th at 7:30pm
Sun, Nov 28th at 2:15pm
Mon, Nov 29th at 6:30pm
Tue, Nov 30th at 6:30pm
Wed, Dec 1st at 6:30pm
Thu, Dec 2nd at 6:30pm