First, Ekaterina Maximova one of the greatest Russian ballerinas of the second part of the 20th century is starring. She proved to be a great actress on the ballet stage and had several movie roles as well. This movie is not a ballet performance with some short dialogs what is typical for movies about ballet. it shows prima ballerina's life with success and hard work, doubts and joy. it really shows what is behind the scenes and people do not see and do not know. Some great ballet performances only magnify the strength of the plot. The cast is very good with outstanding ballet legends, actors and actresses. The music selection and cinematography are very impressive. Highly recommend it.