happy to be so...

Oleg Briansky & Mireille Briane: A Lifetime of Dance

happy to be so… is a documentary about Oleg Briansky and Mireille Briane, former principal dancers, renowned ballet teachers, and a dynamic duet for more than 50 years.

Briansky, of White Russian descent, and Briane, a Parisian, met in Paris, both principal dancers in different European companies. He, born to dance, and she, born to teach. A great, well-known artist, Briansky was hailed as “the most sought after male dancer in the world,” at the time, by Ballet magazine and partnered many ballet luminaries such as Alicia Markova and Margot Fonteyn. Later in life, he and Princess Grace of Monaco, planned to establish a ballet school in Monte Carlo.

In 1963, Briansky’s meteoric career was cut short by injuries. Soon after, the couple relocated to New York and established the Briansky Saratoga Ballet School, one of the most distinguished summer ballet academies in America and abroad.

happy to be so... depicts the Brianskys as performers and narrators of their own life story, which is highlighted by exciting footage from the 50s and 60s. Piano music from ballet class weaves throughout the film as the score of their lives. The film honors these two people whose personalities have complemented each other — a couple that continues to work and is still vibrant with creativity, curiosity and humor.

Documentary feature: 47 minutes, English, color

Production Team

Director and Producer - Yelena Demikovsky
Camera - Hassan Kamal
Editor - Fatima Benbrahim
Executive Producer - Brian Singh

Screenings

World Premiere, Dance on Camera Film Festival, January 2008