Ballet Dancers Bare Their Souls in "Core-ography"

We all know the ballerina fairy tale: She’s basically born dancing, studies intensely for years, scores a company contract and works her way up the ranks until she emerges, butterfly-like, as a gorgeous prima. There are no moments of doubt, no periods of self-questioning; she knows, from the beginning, that she’s destined for the spotlight.

But that’s not the path most dancers, including many of the most acclaimed ones, travel. And a new web series, “Core-ography,” aims to share the real stories of some of the ballet world’s brightest stars—both ballerinas and danseurs.

Each video in the “Core-ography” collection, created by choreographer and dancer Barry Kerollis, will include footage of an artist discussing her struggles and triumphs, followed by an original ballet inspired her journey. It’s a powerful one-two punch: We see a dancer talking about her life, and then re-telling that story in the language of movement—a language she speaks even more fluently.

Over the next year or so, “Core-ography” will profile the likes of Pacific Northwest Ballet principal Maria Chapman, Washington Ballet dancer Brooklyn Mack, former English National Ballet principal Bridgett Zehr and Boston Ballet principal John Lam. The first video in the series, released a few days ago, features fantastic Pennsylvania Ballet principal (and former DS cover star) Lauren Fadeley. Fadeley left New York City Ballet after two years and struggled with clinical depression before rediscovering her love of dance while in school at Indiana University. Watch her video below—and stay tuned for more “Core-ography.”