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happy to be so… depicts an extraordinary couple united for more than 50 years. This film light-heartedly documents the lives of Oleg Briansky and Mireille Briane, former principal dancers, and nationally renowned ballet teachers. As you sit across the couch from the Brianskys, their lifelong stories unfold, alongside their humorous agreements and disagreements.
Briansky, of White Russian descent, and Briane, a Parisian, met in Paris, both leading dancers in various 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. He partnered many ballet luminaries such as Alicia Markova and Margot Fonteyn and was a friend of Princess Grace of Monaco.
In 1963, Briansky's meteoric career was cut short by injury and arthritis. Soon after, the couple relocated to New York and established the Briansky Saratoga Ballet School, one of the most distinguished summer ballet academies in the United States and abroad.
happy to be so... portrays the Brianskys as performers and narrators of their own life stories, which are highlighted by beautiful 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, still vibrant with creativity, curiosity, and good-humored, married-couple arguing.
Documentary feature: 47 minutes, English, color
Production Team
Director and Producer - Yelena Demikovsky
Executive Producer - Brian Singh
Camera - Hassan Kamel
Editor - Fatima Benbrahim
Awards
The Indie Fest, Award of Merit
Screenings
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