Ballet West's Beckanne Sisk on "Breaking Pointe"

May 17, 2012

Ever wonder what it’s really like to be in a ballet company? Go behind the scenes at Utah-based Ballet West this summer with “Breaking Pointe,” a TV series documenting the passion and pain of professional dancers. We caught up with Ballet West artist Beckanne Sisk to find out about the filming process.

Dance Spirit: What was your reaction when you learned Ballet West would be participating in the show?

Beckanne Sisk: I was a bit nervous because I knew our lives would be out there for the whole world to see. Initially, I didn’t want to be on camera–it made me really nervous. But once they started featuring and interviewing me, it was really cool and exciting.

DS:
How did filming change your rehearsals and performances?

BS: We tried to forget the cameras were there. But they did motivate us–I made sure I was always wearing makeup! Contstantly having a camera on me made me really push myself. It’s kind of quiet and unexciting now that they’re gone.

DS:

Give us three reasons why we should tune in.

BS: 1. Ballet isn’t appreciated the way it should be because people don’t understand it. The series will show how much we go through and how much we love it.

2. It’s really entertaining–especially for dancers. They’ll be able to relate first-hand to everything that happens.

3. Every little girl who’s dreamed of becoming a ballerina will see there’s so much more to being a ballet dancer than just performing beautifully and receiving praise.