The Kirov Theatre has produced many of the world’s finest choreographers and dancers including Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev, Mikael Baryshnikov, and Natalia Makarova. Now, The Mariinsky Theatre, under the artistic direction of the legendary Valery Gergiev, is producing a new generation of rising stars: Alina Somova, Svetlana Zakharova, Diana Vishneva, Ulyana Lopatkina and Evgenia Obraztsova - tough, insightful and exceptionally talented women, each with her own personal hopes, dreams and career-changing challenges. These premiere dance artists leap from rehearsal halls to international stages as they re-invent classical ballet and enchant audiences worldwide. From leaving school to comingback from a crippling injury, their journeys reflect unique components of the ballerina’s experience. Weaving intimate interviews with rehearsal studio footage, Ballerina also shows scenes from famous ballets such as Marius Petipa’s Paquita, Swan Lake and La Bayadère, as well as George Balanchine’s Diamonds, Michael Fokine’s Schéhérazade and Lavrovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. This distinctive documentary captures the sublime beauty of the ballerina in all her glory, and reveals the country where she still shines - Russia, the land of the ballerina par excellence.