Natalie Portman Black Swan dance controversy rages on Aumag The Talks Today

Publish date: 2024-05-03

One of the world’s top ballerinas has weighed in on the Black Swan dance scandal on the eve of her visit to Australia for a series of exclusive performances.

American Ballet Theater principal Skylar Brant, arguably one of the best-known ballerinas in the world, believes professional dancers were justified in their criticism of Portman after she won an Oscar for her performance in the 2010 film.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Mila Kunis, Black Swan is a psychological thriller about a troubled ballet dancer (Portman) and her diabolical quest for perfection.

Portman claimed in a series of interviews both before and after her Oscar win in 2011 that she was responsible for much of the dancing in the film and that she prepared for the role for a year before filming.

Director Aronofsky also claimed in a series of interviews that it was ‘all Natalie’ during the film’s many dance sequences, saying in a single instance; ‘except for the wide shots, when she has to be very on point’.

International superstar Skylar Brandt weighed in on the infamous Black Swan dance scandal just ahead of her visit to Australia

About a ballerina's quest for perfection, Black Swan won several awards, including Best Actress for Natalie Portman

About a ballerina’s quest for perfection, Black Swan won several awards, including Best Actress for Natalie Portman

He added in July 2010; “I haven’t used her twice as much.”

But many in the dance world took offense to the claims, particularly after Portman failed to thank her body double, American Ballet soloist Sarah Lane, in her Oscar acceptance speech.

Lane would later give an interview to The Wall Street Journal in which she stated that she was responsible for “almost all” of the dancing in the film, and that Portman’s face was often digitally superimposed on her body.

She added; ‘I want people to know that (Portman) worked really hard.

And she lost a lot of weight, so if you looked at her, you’d say she could walk from her arms up like a dancer.

‘She is a fantastic actress. I can’t act like that. But to say she danced everything is utterly ridiculous to anyone who knows anything about ballet.’

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, Brandt – who has appeared with Lane on several occasions – admitted that the film remains a flashpoint topic for professional dancers, and that some were still divided over whether Portman should have won an Oscar at all .

“You can’t just become a professional, accomplished ballet dancer overnight,” says Brandt

Portman claimed to have trained professionally for a year before filming Black Swan in 2010

Portman claimed to have trained professionally for a year before filming Black Swan in 2010

Brandt says that while she believes Portman deserved the Oscar “for her acting,” she didn’t deserve to be recognized as a world-class dancer.

“I think the way the movie was represented was perhaps illustrated in such a way that Natalie Portman was dancing in the movie, which of course she was to a point,” Brandt said.

‘But she was not dancing as it appeared she was.

“I mean, maybe from the waist up there were some parts.

‘But she’s not a dancer and my colleague (Lane) who was her body double… she got a bit upset.

‘And people need to understand that, you know, you can’t just become a professional, accomplished ballet dancer overnight.

‘So yeah, it was a big thing in the dance world. And in many ways I respect my colleague for speaking on behalf of the dancers.’

Mila Kunis also starred in the film and also relied heavily on a body double

Mila Kunis also starred in the film and also relied heavily on a body double

“I think the way the movie was represented was perhaps illustrated in such a way that Natalie Portman danced in the movie,” says Brandt

While Portman spent a year preparing for the role — training with her now-husband and French ballet dancer Benjamin Millepied — Brandt says a realistic time to get the technique portrayed in the film is “more like 20 years.” .

Interestingly, Millepied also doubled down on Portman’s contribution to the film in a 2011 interview with the LA Times, saying, “There are articles now talking about her dance double making it sound like [Lane] did a lot of the work, but really she just did the footwork and a diagonal [phrase] in the studio. Honestly, 85% of that movie is Natalie.’

But it was Portman’s failure to acknowledge her body double during her Oscars acceptance speech that drew the most ire from ballet circles, with dancer and author Wendy Perron famously blogging and asking; “Do people really think it only takes a year to make a ballerina?”

Portman won a number of awards, including an Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Independent Spirit Award for her performance

Portman won a number of awards, including an Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Independent Spirit Award for her performance

Brandt is seen here in American Ballet Theatre's Don Quixote, which she will perform in Australia

Brandt is seen here in American Ballet Theatre’s Don Quixote, which she will perform in Australia

Brandt reveals that in the months after the film’s release, the public called ballet companies in New York asking when Natalie Portman would perform.

‘I thought, oh my god, this is very funny…very funny,’ says Brandt.

‘Just because of course she’s not a dancer at all.

Brandt and a number of the world’s leading ballet dancers are set to make a rare visit Downunder later this month for a series of gala performances in Queensland.

The Ballet International Gala (BIG) will be presented in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, featuring performances by Brandt, Daniil Simkin – Russian Principal Dancer at Berlin State Ballet – and Roberto Bolle, Principal Dancer at Étoile Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

BIG will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center on August 26 and 27 and at Star Casino Gold Coast on September 3.

Skylar is a superstar in world ballet and has amassed just over 225,000 Instagram followers

Skylar is a superstar in world ballet and has amassed just over 225,000 Instagram followers

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