A Day with Boston Ballet—in Three Minutes

November 28, 2001

Sometimes even dancers themselves don’t realize how hard they work. But this fascinating time-lapse video, capturing a day of class and rehearsals in Boston Ballet’s Studio 7, makes it clear just how much goes into the ballet dancer’s average workday.

To a dancer, watching the film (which was created by David Gifford and Adrian Dalca of MIT with high-tech GoPro cameras) feels strangely dream-like. We’ve known days like this, and yet seeing one in a pseudo-abstract context is like having an out-of-body experience.

Bonus: At about two minutes in, you can see the dancers form distinctive opening pattern of Balanchine’s Serenade on the studio floor. It’s pretty neat. Take a look: