Movies

In ‘Étoile,’ ‘Bunheads’ creators return to ballet but with a cross-Atlantic twist

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In Paris, dance has always been a unifying element across Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino’s series. It subtly appeared in “Gilmore Girls,” provided an ideal backdrop for “Bunheads,” and graced the scenes of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” However, in their latest creation, “Étoile,” their passion for ballet takes center stage.

Starting April 24, you can stream a captivating eight-episode series on Prime Video. This drama unfolds the backstage tension between two fictional dance troupes – Le Ballet National in Paris and Metropolitan Ballet Theater in New York City. Filmed in both cities, it boasts an international ensemble of dancers, some of whom are real ballet artists. It was a combined effort across the Atlantic, making it not only unique but also a remarkably challenging project.

For quite some time now, we’ve been pondering over an intriguing concept: “Suppose the dancers from Paris and New York’s ballet companies were to exchange roles?” as Palladino explains. Being residents of New York, we are well-acquainted with the local theater and dance communities. In the world of ballet, they present these exquisite, ethereal, graceful, flawless performances. Yet, the backstage scene is far from serene and refined. It’s more like a bustling, lively environment.

Sherman-Palladino, a former ballet dancer, shares that they’ve long desired to revisit dance following ‘Bunheads.’ They found it enjoyable but felt it ended prematurely, leading them to explore the complexities of the adult dance world more thoroughly. Paris, with its ancient ballet company tracing back to royal courts, and New York, the dynamic upstart, provided an intriguing contrast that shaped our narrative and offered a rich setting for our story.

In the 2012 scene from “Bunheads,” Sutton Foster portrays Michelle Simms, who is positioned to the far right, imparting knowledge to her students. [Photo Credit: Adam Taylor/ABC Family]

A group of dancers in a scene from “Étoile.” (Philippe Antonello/Prime)

Last spring’s cold day served as a backdrop for an impressive display at Studios d’Epinay, one of Europe‘s oldest studios, situated north of Paris. Within a massive soundstage, production designer Bill Groom and his crew have built the rehearsal spaces, corridors, and offices of Le Ballet National. This expansive set encompasses several interconnected rooms, including a dance floor adorned with columns, partially modeled after a rehearsal room in the actual Palais Garnier, where the Paris Opera Ballet resides. Scattered throughout are chairs and sofas, as Amy Sherman-Palladino desires dancers to have a place to relax during breaks between takes.

Sherman-Palladino notes that dancers spend a large portion of their lives within four walls. The majority of their existence revolves around a building, entering it in the morning and remaining there throughout the day. In our show, we aimed to create sets that could realistically portray this kind of life. While we focused on the dance studios, we also considered the corridors, social spaces, and relaxation areas – places like couches.

Following their own work on the initial script, Sherman-Palladino and Palladino gathered a team of six writers, which included ex-dancer Daisy Long and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” actor Gideon Glick. The pilot laid out the show’s central idea: Struggling with dwindling ticket sales, Le Ballet National director Geneviève (Charlotte Gainsbourg) proposes a swap of talents with Metropolitan Ballet Theater to boost publicity and preserve the art form. Initially hesitant, Jack (Luke Kirby), the Metropolitan’s director, eventually consents to the exchange. The arrival of star ballerina Cheyenne (Lou de Laâge) in New York is followed by Mishi (Taïs Vinolo, a professional ballet dancer) returning home, creating waves within both dance companies.

In advance of filming, the writers planned multiple episodes, moving the storyline from Paris to New York and then back again last year. However, they intentionally left room for adjustments during production – a practice that Sherman-Palladino and Palladino, who both direct on the show, are known for having employed in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” as well.

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During her first appearance on Broadway, Amy Sherman-Palladino recently chatted with The Times regarding the reinvention of a classic musical fable, continuously tweaking the script, and maintaining an innocent perspective about theater.

Palladino notes that this production had an unusually large group of actors, more so than usual. It’s not focused on a single family, which made understanding the relationships among all the characters a challenge as we became familiar with each actor’s abilities. We don’t always plan everything ahead of time when shooting because it allows us to adapt and find what works best within the show as we go along.

Glick, who portrays Tobias Bell – the neurotic New York choreographer – comments that they excel at building characters and adapting them based on the actors’ contributions. In the movie, his character feels out of place in Paris but finds an unexpected friend in the arrogant dancer Gabin (Ivan du Pontavice). Glick explains that the character grew and changed during filming.

As a fervent admirer, I’d rephrase it like this: Initially apprehensive about the fast-paced nature of TV production, Gainsbourg—renowned for her silver screen presence—found solace in the laid-back atmosphere of “Étoile.” The allure of multiple takes and the flexibility shown by Sherman-Palladino and Palladino to accommodate her complex portrayal of Geneviève, a woman grappling with a tumultuous personal life while harboring an unyielding passion, proved irresistible.

According to Gainsbourg, they were receptive to all my ideas regarding her character. This included what I desired during our meetings at her office, as well as how I envisioned portraying the character. They demonstrated such generosity by accommodating my requests. Since I had little experience with that particular realm, I was eager to explore it. To gain insight, I watched documentaries and met with the opera director and ballet director in Paris.

Gainsbourg played a role in shaping some of the French dialogues, identifying instances where a line or word seemed inauthentic. Initially, the scripts were written in English and then passed on to translators. However, some of the humor didn’t resonate at first. Later, translator Dany Héricourt joined the team to make sure that the couple’s quick-witted dialogue translated effectively between languages.

According to Sherman-Palladino, the French speak rapidly, with punctuation being virtually non-existent for them. This means that what might be five separate sentences could sound like a single, swift, long sentence. We’d have to consult Danny and ask, “Is it funny?” in this case.

“We were in the unprecedented situation of having to ask an actor to slow down,” Palladino adds.

Previously, Kirby teamed up with Sherman-Palladino and Palladino on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Initially, he was slated to appear in a single episode as comedian Lenny Bruce. However, his performance garnered such positive reactions that he became a key element in the series’ narrative. Eventually, they created the character Jack especially for Kirby.

As a movie enthusiast, I didn’t pry into his future steps because, well, they were bound to shift. During our initial chat, I did inquire about his past as a dancer. Frankly, that intrigued me. However, he is more than just a man who had the privilege of dancing; he was born into a world where dance was accessible. And fortunately for us, he cherishes it deeply.

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What led to this event, and what follows? The stars behind “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” unveil the enchantment unfolding on the filming location.

In “Étoile,” characters from the Sherman-Palladino universe make recurring appearances. Yanic Truesdale portrays Geneviève’s assistant Raphael, while Kelly Bishop appears as Jack’s mother, and Dakin Matthews joins in as a member of the theater’s board. Simon Callow enters as a challenging billionaire backing Metropolitan Ballet Theater, and David Haig takes on the role of its struggling artistic director.

Truesdale shares, “Amy, Dan, and I have been friends for such a long time, and there’s a sense of comfort between us.” He emphasized that he didn’t want to replicate the character Michel from ‘Gilmore Girls’ in his role. Although he is French with a female boss, he wanted to avoid a similar dynamic. Michel was always struggling, but Raphael is completely dedicated and is fully committed to serving Geneviève.

Sherman-Palladino remarks that when one collaborates with outstanding individuals, there’s a desire to keep working with such talented professionals, and eventually, one becomes accustomed to this high standard. This makes writing for them effortless since you trust they will deliver exceptional work.

In a more self-referential manner, the main dancers from New York City Ballet (Unity Phelan and Tiler Peck), Boston Ballet (John Lam), and even Broadway actor David Alvarez, who was once the lead in “Billy Elliot”, join the cast. Alvarez, apart from his acting role as Gael, also choreographed his own moves, much like Vinolo did, and he executed each dance sequence twice, one with de Laâge and another with her dance stand-in, Constance Devernay-Laurence. Similar to the rest of the cast, he underwent rigorous training prior to and during filming.

Alvarez shares, “I found it intriguing to develop this character as it mirrors aspects of my own life. I suspect Amy spent quite some time observing me to understand who this character is. Unlike other projects, the approach was unique – more rehearsals were involved. In the past, I’d simply arrive on set and shoot a scene without ever meeting the actors. But here, there was a strong sense of camaraderie.

In her endeavor, De Laâge chose not only to master ballet dancing but also to learn English. Cheyenne, portrayed as fiery and bold, even goes so far as to describe potential dance partners as if they were victims in a murder scene. However, it is de Laâge who infuses Cheyenne with a depth of emotional complexity that provides the most insightful perspective on the driving force behind ballerinas’ relentless pursuit of dance.

Laâge states that she won’t become a star dancer since it’s intricate and it’s a profession, but working with real dancers has been fascinating. She’s gained insights into their career and the complexities they face. The body expresses a narrative in dance. Now, she comprehends how challenging each movement is because ballet is distinct from gymnastics or expressive arts. It can be graceful, subtle, and delicate, yet intricate as well.

In the dance scenes, it’s hard to distinguish between de Laâge and Devernay-Laurence or du Pontavice and his stunt double, Arcadian Broad. During filming in Paris, a scene features Tobias encouraging Gabin to master new choreography in the afternoon. To capture this, du Pontavice and Broad both dressed as Gabin for the shoot.

In this scenario, Marguerite Derricks, who has often worked alongside Sherman-Palladino, instructed both performers through the sequence of events. First, du Pontavice demonstrated the entire scene using a basic dance routine. Next, Broad reenacted the same scene with more refined movements and an impressive jump. Afterwards, the camera switched to allow du Pontavice to reenter for the final take. Later on, the VFX team would blend du Pontavice’s face onto Broad’s body in a smooth manner.

According to Derricks, “the feelings need to align.” He elaborates that when they’re practicing, he ensures they express what they’re feeling. They’ve both mastered the dance steps perfectly. However, when Ivan performs the Superman leap, he doesn’t reach the same height as Arcadian, but he executes it correctly.

In summary, Derrick meticulously prepared numerous rehearsals and shows for “Étoile,” also revamping well-known choreography from ballets such as “The Nutcracker” and “Sleeping Beauty.” She gathered a team of 20 ballet dancers from Paris and another set of 20 from New York, supplemented by additional dancers to handle larger scenes. Each dance routine in the series serves a specific storyline or emotional purpose.

According to Sherman-Palladino, every dance scene in the show had to serve a purpose and advance the storyline. In other words, there was always a reason for the dance, and it wasn’t just added as a random number. If the dancing fit within the script, they included it. For Sherman-Palladino, the dancing was the most enjoyable and effortless aspect of creating the show.

Since “Étoile” isn’t limited to onstage events alone, each detail required meticulous precision and authenticity. Groom blended the settings of New York and Paris with actual theater venues to create the environments for Le Ballet National and Metropolitan Ballet Theater. In Paris, filming took place at the Palais Garnier, encompassing the costume studio where tutus are famously suspended from the ceiling, as well as Théâtre du Châtelet and Opéra Comique. For New York, the production utilized Lincoln Center and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Groom advises us to pay attention to what’s happening off-stage when cameras are focusing on performers. Since viewers typically can’t see behind the scenes, it was crucial to make that aspect realistic as well. Given that shooting would occur in hallways and outside rehearsal areas, we aimed to perceive the space just like the dancers do.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but marvel at the exceptional attention to detail shown by Donna Zakowska, the brilliant costume designer behind “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Her unwavering commitment to precision is evident in her Emmy-winning work. Alongside her dedicated team, she meticulously designed and crafted over 200 ballet costumes, as well as rehearsal attire for the cast that could swell to a staggering 60 actors on particularly busy filming days.

Zakowska explains, “I’ve spent my entire life dancing, and for me, dance is a profoundly moving and thrilling human form of expression. Whenever I think about clothing, I consider how they move. Previously, I was unaware that tutus consist of 13 layers of netting. It turned out to be much more complex than I had anticipated. You have to adapt the clothes to the dance and how each performer interprets it.

Initially, people in the real-world ballet community were hesitant towards “Étoile.” According to Palladino, this skepticism stems from past experiences with films and TV shows that focus on the darker aspects of dance. However, “Étoile” also embodies the optimistic essence of the art form, showcasing its ability to uplift human existence.

Initially, people were hesitant, but as the performance unfolded, they realized it wasn’t just about the decorative aspect of the dancers. Instead, it was focused on the dancers themselves and their narratives, which held significant importance for us. Given our extensive experience working with dancers in our previous productions, and my personal background as a dancer, this project stirred up many memories.

She says with a smile, “I must confess, it gave me a momentary pang as I paused, for your dancing form is simply captivating.

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2025-04-17 13:32

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