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Dad!
NENEH SUPERSTAR
- Hello. - Hello. Nina Sahiere.
- Hello! - It's for the entrance exam.
Nénéh-Fanta Gnaoré, 12. 55 rue des Limandes Pourpres,
building C, stairwell A. La Courneuve.
Stairwell B, floor 2, door C.
Give me a hug, honey.
Here.
Hello, girls.
This last round is different.
You'll be dancing freestyle,
so you'll be onstage with no répétiteur, as in the previous rounds.
And this jury is composed of our teaching staff.
Don't let the new faces unsettle you.
Is Madame Marianne Belage in this jury?
Yes, the Head Dean presides over the last round.
Next, the infirmary.
Bring medical certificates, information sheets.
Did you all write down your parents' height and weight?
- Yes. - Good, follow me.
My name is Julia Dobinier. I'm 12.
I dance at CRR -Paris, and go to elementary school in flextime.
Olivia,12. I've been dancing since I'm 4.
I'm Salomé Laurent. I turned 12 in February.
I'm in 8th grade. I skipped a year.
I live in Caen in Normandy and in the 16th in Paris.
I began dancing at 2 and a half.
So it's been 10 years.
I started competitions last year.
I did the Nijinsky Competition and I received a silver medal.
Hello, I'm Romane L'Archer. I'm 12.
I live in Paris in the 8th.
Since the age of 2 and a half, lots of competitions.
But in Italy, where we lived until last year.
Hello, I'm Iris Clishe.
I go to elementary school in the 5th in flextime.
School in the morning, dance in the afternoon.
Weekends I take private classes with Muriel Hascolovitch.
I recently began competitions.
For the International CND, I came in first.
Hello, I'm Nénéh-Fanta Gnaoré. I'm 12.
Can I start? Can I dance?
- Can we start with some questions? - Sure, ask away.
Where did you study dance?
Very long story. I started in 4th grade
but the extracurricular classes sucked.
Then I took classes in the Coteaux projects.
My neighborhood hates Coteaux,
But their classes are amazeballs. I did hip-hop.
How did you prepare for the competition?
I saw videos of Marianne Belage when she was danseuse étoile.
And now I know all the moves: La Bayadère, Swan Lake...
So... I took all the steps from there.
It inspired me for my freestyle.
Excuse me, can we... start over?
I'm ready.
Can you do it when I start? I wasn't ready.
How graceful! If she has no hitches in her growth cycle, she's promising.
- Alexandre? - Yes, I fully agree.
Excellent. Louna is admitted.
Next is Nénéh-Fanta Gnaoré.
There's nothing to discuss.
Very talented, but she's not right for our school.
There is no such thing as a physical ideal,
but we need an aesthetic uniformity in the ballet corps.
- Our school would be lucky to have her. - No, I don't think so.
Why not? We have a Mauritian in our quadrilles.
The quadrilles are the last of the substitutes!
She'll never make soloist.
We want to train leads, not extras.
She's already 23. Some of you were already leads.
Her black skin tone is more pronounced than the Mauritian's.
Let's take her! Her proportions are perfect!
That's not the point. The point is her relevance here.
Imagine her in a ballet in 7 or 8 years.
Won't her skin color be a distraction?
The 40 swans are white.
Cinderalla, Gisèle, Bayadère: all white. It's our tradition.
Our job is to protect our values and pass them on.
- Is it our job to choose her? - Stop!
It's not our job to stifle talent.
So what is it, to open doors to whoever?
No, it's to be lucid and choose the best.
With black somatotypes, we take the risk of a body exploding in adolescence.
Hips and breasts not in our norms.
Remember how we had to fire Fatoumata.
In our company we've already had Blacks.
Idrissa Bentou,
Jean-Rose Martin,
Baptiste Bhénoussi.
Those men did all their schooling here.
Then they joined the company.
They were never soloists and all left prematurely.
Total loss. And they're boys. It's not the same.
We have boys from China, Korea, girls from Ukraine and Finland, Italy.
We've diversified quite a bit.
We only have 7 spots this year. If we take a girl like Nénéh,
we thwart girls like Victoire or Morgane from joining the troupe.
- Their profiles are easier fits. - We're full of Victoires and Morganes.
Excuse me, your role is purely consulting.
You may run the Opéra, but I run the ballet school.
The teaching staff and I make recruitment decisions.
Indeed, but... this Nénéh must absolutely be admitted to the school.
Put her first on the list.
This is freaking amazing!
Thank you!
Why did you let me try out? You didn't think I'd get in?
All good?
I never said no, that's all.
You didn't tell me everything.
- I said it was the best! - But not that you'd sleep there.
Or that you'd quit school to dance 8 hours a day.
Oh yeah, right.
You think the Opéra de Paris Ballet School
is for welfare cases and drop-outs? On the contrary.
Listen, I know no one who went there. I don't trust it. Period.
Want me waste my life like you?
You're jealous! Jealous! Jealous!
Dad!
- Open! - Let me sleep!
- Mom hit me! - Too bad for you.
Alert! Violence!
- What did you do? - Nothing!
It's her! She hit me because I was admitted.
Nénéh, please, let me sleep. Go to your room.
Thanks.
You'll sleep there, eat there. Shower too?
- It's boarding school! - I get it, but it still sounds like a lot.
- Relax, I'll be back on weekends. - That's not enough.
And also, honestly, maybe you'll be immediately expelled.
Totally!
- Princess school, for princesses. - You don't get it.
- Dance pulses through my veins. - Whatever!
It's all that matters.
I wouldn't see you at Opéra Ballet. A youth center, sure.
In a zoo, why not?
- But the Opéra? You're gangsta! - I totally agree.
You don't go with the Opéra. Your face doesn't fit in.
I'll invite you.
I'll give you free seats. That'll teach you.
How's life since Samuel rejected you for the 46th time?
- 46 is a lot! - My life is now dance and nutrition.
- No more guys. I'm doing a detox. - Detox from rejection!
And nutrition-wise...
- We can see! - Seriously.
- You set a great example. - Amazing!
You okay, sweetie?
- Fine. - Wanna grab a coffee?
- I start again in 5 minutes. - Okay.
- You decided for Nénéh? - It's decided.
- I don't get you. - Dancer isn't a job.
Why put it in her head? How will she get by?
- Pro dancer isn't a job? - Tell me one famous Black ballerina.
Tell me one famous white dancer you know.
- There are lots. - You don't know.
There's no need to worry. She'll be fine there.
School in the morning, dance the afternoon.
And tutors at night.
Got a better idea?
You're okay with boarding school?
- Seeing her on weekends? - It's a combo: dance and boarding.
I checked. It's a great opportunity.
How long can you dance? Until you're 35, 40. Then what?
Relax, she'll manage. Look at Deschamps, Zidane!
I have to go.
- You never dreamt of being a ballerina? - I took judo.
Can't you trust your daughter?
- "Trust your daughter", spare me. - See you.
- See you later. - Later.
Don't get carried away. We stick to the list.
Nénéh?
Nénéh, you hear?
Try this on. Go on...
All good, honey?
Our new collection will set off her skin tone.
From light rose to black, bronzes in between.
Her "skin tone"?
- We can't dress like we want to? - She knows her stuff.
She knows more than me?
White interrupts the black silhouette. We've found new solutions.
Solutions? I have no problem.
An Opéra Ballet School coupon.
Once you untangle your hair, use this. It's very good.
Put a lot on the sides,
so you can slick back the stray hairs.
Put on a lot, a lot.
- Then... - When will you do it?
Let me explain first. Afterwards you'll be on your own.
Next, you take this brush...
You want to hear about him?
Actually, he's not at all serious.
You pull hard, and put on a rubber band. Then you do a twist.
- You'll have the prettiest bun ever. - Can you do it for me now?
Of course, no problem. We'll start by untangling. Is that okay?
Okay, great. Here we go.
He told the girl to come!
- Yes! - You saw her?
- No. He waited for her at the airport. - I don't believe it.
Then the bun cap.
Not only he doesn't notice your new lingerie,
but he takes it off, and throws it on the floor.
- Keep quiet. - I swear.
I'm Victor Max. I teach classical dance.
Classical dance is our tradition.
It's undeniable. But our training...
Victor Max was named danseur étoile in the 1990's.
Our parents weren't even born yet.
The training is complete and demanding.
I'm Alexandre Boucher. I also teach classical dance.
The woman next to him is Jeanne-Marie Mersault.
Her YouTube videos are in black and white.
What?
I can't listen to you. It's Marianne Belage.
I'm Marianne Belage. I run the school.
All year long, you'll be evaluated.
Those who don't meet our standards must leave.
You'll need perseverance, health and luck.
I'm a big advocate of the bow.
The memory of our origins.
The bow is a demonstration of respect vis-à-vis teachers.
The bow is especially a way of telling us
that you're proud to be at the Opéra.
- You managed to do a bun. - Totally.
What's your goal?
My goal is to be a danseuse étoile.
Like you.
But that's for the future.
Otherwise it's to learn a lot and to listen.
You know, you weren't my favorite applicant.
No, I didn't know that.
Goodnight.
I couldn't find any Nutella!
Fat, hazelnuts, sugar, palm oil. We're dancers, not rugby players!
Are you serious?
I eat Nutella nonstop. Look, I'm a plank.
Raisins won't help you lose weight.
Bodies are about nature, not Nutella.
Don't believe the TV.
We're all thin. Otherwise we wouldn't be here.
Don't say you're in better shape. Period.
And watch your diet, your body will eventually make you pay.
Extend the movement all the way.
Think of your pelvis.
When you extend your foot, do it heel first.
Then pull the toes back.
Your hand!
You, Romane. You must lose 7 pounds.
- No corrections until then. - So not cool.
Stop! Next, grands sauts.
Your leaps are ridiculous!
You're wondering how to recover.
That's not how it works.
Jump!
One, two three, four... Come on!
No grunting! This isn't track and field!
Never show how hard it is.
Dance isn't complicated, but simplicity is difficult.
Come on!
There! Together, together.
You're slacking!
Stop, we're done here.
Go to the locker rooms. I can't fight laziness.
Seriously, I'm into how you make us work.
Your trash-talking sounds so American.
Learn the rules and respect your teachers.
I respect you! I know who you are, dude!
No "dude" here! As punishment, 10 pushups.
Really? Like in the army?
This is your first punishment. Want more?
All right, I'll do it.
Go on.
Faster!
A year of pushups, you'll be in shape. At least it won't be a waste.
He's too tough.
- He doesn't explain. - I'll make no progress.
Hear how he talked to me?
He made me want to cry.
Girls?
You pissed him off because you don't work.
He cut the class short. Chin up! Don't quit now!
You realize? He danced with Nureyev! Show respect.
Louna, give it your all.
- That's what I do. - Who do you think you are?
Don't preach to us.
It's for you. We're a group. We live and die together.
That's all. So don't take it badly.
Back up.
Very good.
Relevé. Balance.
Fifth position.
Dig into the floor, head to the sky.
And once more. Demi plié.
We're preparing this trimester's Démonstrations.
It's very important.
The girls we choose will be the school's showcase.
Which is why we'll choose the best.
We're hesitating between Snow White and Cinderella.
I need a very credible dancer for the role.
Give me your tests.
Pas de valse right, pas de valse left.
Assemblé soutenu right.
Prepare 5th position. Dégagé, second.
Two pirouettes.
Finish 4th.
- Who'll go first? - Me!
That's a 5th?
Start over. You started badly.
Once more. Prepare your 5th.
You're not concentrated. Start over. Step back.
Concentrate...
Start over.
It must flow. It's not "Boom, next position!"
It's gentle, a pas de valse.
- Again. - From the start?
- Yes.
Work your en dehors.
If you waver, you must start over.
Your gaze.
One, two... Two! Turn again!
Turn, turn.
Start the pirouettes, go on.
Turn.
I said two pirouettes. Can you do two?
You can't. Go there... Romane?
There. One, two, there.
Thank you, Romane.
Very good, fluid, harmonious. Turn.
So precise. Her 5ths are perfect.
Yes.
Olympe, your turn.
That's great.
I love her leaps.
Great job.
You, Louna.
Her upper body is great.
Don't laugh!
Everyone falls.
Sorry, Louna. You didn't hurt yourself?
I'm fine.
- You sure? - I'm okay.
Careful not to get hurt.
You dance well but...
Snow White can't be Black.
"She sells seashells by the seashore".
Wait. "She sells seashells..."
"...Seashells by the seashore."
- Here, honey. - Thanks!
"She sells seashells by the seashore." Bam!
You didn't get it!
Why do they get fries and not me?
You wanted to go to Opéra Ballet. You're not happy?
From now on, you're on a strict diet.
- But Mom! - Don't "But Mom" me.
I brought you chicken nuggets for protein.
And for fiber, a salad. Yummy salad.
I have to admit, protein is good for dance.
Especially in nuggets.
Eat, honey.
I left you ice cream in the freezer. Okay?
- For me too? - Yes, why?
Fries no, ice cream yes? Sure you got the info right?
I'll eat it if you prefer.
I was just asking.
I found the ultimate fry.
Me too.
- Look at this fry. - Not for you!
- Fuck, you scared me! - Mind your tongue.
- But you scared me. - That's no reason.
Why are you up so late?
- The munchies is an athlete thing. - It's a glutton thing.
It's normal. I'm a growing girl.
- I don't need it anymore. Want it? - Sure.
Thanks.
Dad.
What?
You know, for Saturdays,
I need to take Madame Henri's classes.
Rue Bonaparte, in Paris.
All my classmates go.
We need to go to keep up our level.
I'm the only one not going.
The only one? I don't believe you.
Don't believe me, but I'm almost entirely the only one.
Do you really need private lessons?
You're tired enough. And private lessons are for losers.
What nonsense! Private lessons are not for losers.
If I don't take them, on Monday I'm rusty and I squeak.
- I can't dance. It's necessary. - You come back on Friday.
On Saturday I take the car, drive to Paris, find a spot,
wait for you, then do it all in reverse.
Drive home. Pain-in-the-ass, your class!
Too complicated, you're right.
How much the old loon cost?
First of all, she's not old.
And not a loon.
She was a danseuse étoile. 100 euros an hour.
They have some fucking nerve.
It's no big deal.
All right, child.
Let's go to sleep.
Why do ballet students take singing lessons?
For breath control?
Yes. Why else?
- To work on rhythm. - Yes, but why else?
To massage the inside of our bodies, to learn to treat ourselves well.
Yes, but that's not all.
The voice is the most personal of instruments.
Singing forces us to let go, to let emotions carry us away.
That's why singing matters.
Life is not just dance.
Let's go!
Stop! Now use your hands!
No, I'm bored.
Eyes! Eyes alive!
Good!
Lift your arms.
Watch your bust size. You're a centimeter over, but it's fine.
Perfect.
Your thighs are borderline, 43 centimeters.
- Can you measure again? - Of course.
- Still 43. - You can't pull it tighter?
My tape measure never lies.
- You gained a centimeter, it's fine. - It's nothing, just muscle.
Trouble is, your muscles grow in volume, not in length.
- What can I do? - It's just your morphology.
You can go.
You're going to be late.
- I need to stretch my hips. - Says who?
- Everyone. - Yeah, but who?
Boucher.
Okay, it's Boucher !
Hurry, you'll be late.
There, your lower legs.
Bring in your lower legs.
Relax, relax, I can feel your tension.
Yes, control, control!
Very good.
Julia, good... Breathe.
Now you, Louna.
Iris.
Breathe or you'll get a sprain.
Good, Romane.
Olympe don't turn away. Head straight.
We'll stop here.
Was I good too?
Can I borrow your wig just to try?
Sorry, out of the question.
Come on.
Why not? I don't understand.
There's nothing to understand. No is no.
It's like asking to borrow underwear.
- Don't get uptight. - I'm not uptight.
Stop!
Stop! What are you doing?
Stop!
Give it back to me!
Give it back!
You won't say anything?
What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room.
If you keep on creating problems,
you won't be here much longer.
You can go now.
Wikipedia says you grew up in Gennevilliers, in projects, like me.
We both come from the projects.
But with you it really doesn't show.
You can go now.
One, two, three, four...
Plié, détourné left...
Right, and we start over.
Again. Lift higher.
Higher, higher.
Don't move your shoulders. Stomach in.
Cloche, 5 and 6...
Fifth position.
Progressive... Pretty...
Yes!
En croix now. Crossed behind, like I said.
- Goodbye, Nénéh. - Goodbye!
- Thanks, Dad. - You have time for a nap.
Go on, sleep.
Good. Did you do the top?
Okay, enough.
Thanks, honey.
Your breasts!
- What about them? - I hope I never get those torpedoes.
Torpedoes? Thanks!
And those thighs!
I'm so not genetically blessed.
Anyway, it's not your fault. It's Africa.
Wish you were white?
If I could have...
It's not my breasts that got you a warning.
- What do you mean? - I received a certified letter today.
Come on, I'm already traumatized enough.
Sorry for wanting to understand.
What's to understand? I went berserk.
It happens to everyone. I'm better now.
It happened on Monday. Today's Saturday!
- You should go a little berserk! - What?
Nothing.
SUPERHEROES NEED SUPER EQUIPMENT. HUGS AND KISSES, DAD
Do you often come here?
For special occasions.
If you agree to it,
I'd like you to be interviewed by my journalist friend Emmanuelle Braque.
It's an opportunity to showcase your work, and... do a portrait piece.
It's not necessary.
Our website explains our pedagogy. And my portrait...
Everything about me is online.
Even videos from when I was a quadrille. What's the point?
- You know what I mean. - No, I don't.
We know you, but not really.
So I want a portrait piece.
Dance was ahead of its time for once. Why not tout it?
Marianne, it's time you own your success.
I know this journalist. She'll do you justice.
You must do this interview.
We'll do the adage at the bar.
Développé, grand rond de jambe en l'air,
développé devant, right leg, développé 2nd,
raccourci plié, grand rond de jambes 2nd and backwards.
All right?
Here we go.
For the développés, imagine the destination of the tip of your toe.
Before executing the movement,
think of the movement, visualize it.
Draw a mental picture of it.
If it's too taut, Louna, if it hurts,
reduce the amplitude. You have all your life to suffer.
Grow.
Continue.
Nice amplitude.
Very good, Romane!
Come back.
Very good.
Thank you. Turn around.
Left leg out.
In my hand.
With your leg, I should be able to do everything.
Open left, the hip...
The en dehors.
It's the en dehors, more than suppleness, that lets you go high.
It's a question of morphology.
- Thank you, Nénéh. - Word, my pleasure.
Louna, in your bed you should stretch like a cat.
I swear it works.
Got it. Let's get back to work.
Gross.
- You're crazy! - Are you okay?
Nénéh has a violent streak.
And she's behaved like this before.
She has problems with our codes, our culture.
She's never done anything like this.
She can't dole out justice.
Exactly.
In her former school, problems were perhaps solved like this.
When teachers are overwhelmed, poorly trained, fights happen.
But not here.
She had an excellent year in 6th grade. No behavioral...
Excuse me, she didn't learn those manners here.
What are you insinuating? That we didn't raise her well?
Let's face the facts.
Nénéh has trouble adapting to our establishment.
What do you think, Nénéh?
I don't know... I feel great here.
- You have very few friends. - Hold on, ma'am.
It's competitive and cutthroat here. Making friends is hard.
It's worse than a soccer club.
Thousands of girls would like to be in Nénéh's shoes.
- If it's too hard for... - How can we help?
Maybe start thinking of a conventional middle school.
For next year.
You seem happy with her former school.
It may be the solution.
No, I'm begging you, I don't want to go. I want to stay here.
Without using the word "sacrifice",
she realizes we don't go on vacations like other families.
If she is screwing up, we'll rectify it. You have our support.
Nénéh must realize what her gift entails.
- Trust us. - Exactly.
Our teachers' conference is next week.
We'll decide on a punishment.
If it's fair, no problem. We support you.
- No doubts as to our principles? - Not at all. No doubts at all.
Her behavior depends on the trust you place in us.
What got into you?
Is this how we raised you?
- Answer! Is this how we raised you? - No.
Thank God they're not suing.
I knew that school wasn't for us.
There are racists everywhere. You can't do that.
You're screwing everything up.
You were sick of it anyway.
The traffic, the private lessons.
Stop mixing everything up! We can't complain anymore?
I'm thrilled you're in this school.
You'll learn to control yourself? Can I trust you?
Yes.
A real punishment. If we don't send a strong message, it's amateurism.
And she doesn't fit in. I doubt she has any friends.
I always knew it wouldn't work.
She's great in her class.
Yes, some girls are jealous. That's nothing new.
They compare themselves to one another. It's nonstop. We know it.
Being a dancer is not about making friends with classmates!
She's arrogant and thinks she's superior.
I think that it's our job to supervise her.
She's already serious, motivated,
passionate. She doesn't balk at difficulty.
- She's better. - Her measurements are better.
She's trying hard. Sure she tries hard. She's a worker.
Physical therapy is working.
Her thighs, her muscle fiber, are better and better.
It costs her more than the others. It won't pay off.
- What do you know? - Can we discuss Louna?
What she did is gross.
It's fine. Her parents were warned. This is about Nénéh.
Marianne, you can help her.
- You're a god for her. - We are here to help all of them.
It's not up to our school to try and understand her.
Our school? Stop! The school belongs to no one.
We should expel her, and now.
You're angry at life.
She gets the same warning as Louna.
With the other reprimand she received, her chances for staying here are slim.
Your goal is to expel her.
I thought it was to train the future company.
My lens slipped. Be right back.
You okay?
I need to see an eye doctor. It's stuck.
Here it is.
Open your eyes.
Look up.
To the left.
Now to the right.
It's perfect.
I'll write out a prescription and you can leave.
You've devoted your life to dance. It's a vocation, even a calling.
Is it possible to be so committed and have a private life?
I have a private life. But it's private.
- Does it suit you? - Yes, it's enough.
- Do you have children? - No.
Can this school be made accessible to all children,
whatever their social origins?
There was a study done on my students' first names.
It concluded that none were from underprivileged backgrounds.
I think it's a cliché.
Trust me, given the scholarship requests I get,
many families are in precarious positions.
Yes, well...
I checked the figures.
85% of the students have white-collar fathers.
1% blue-collar.
So there's an overrepresentation of wealthy, intellectual families.
That's not the point.
We need parents who share our values, who support us.
Doctors or cashiers, it doesn't matter. We just want their support.
What about cultural diversity?
We can do better.
You didn't fit into the ethnic norms either.
Yet you became a danseuse étoile.
Now you have considerable institutional influence.
What are you getting at?
You've managed to adapt your North African physique to ballet
at a time when society was less tolerant, less open.
Early on, you changed your name.
You went from Myriam Bel Hadj to Marianne Belage.
How do you experience this duality between what you were
and the version of yourself on stage?
This will be all, goodbye.
ONCE UPON A TIME A DANSEUSE ÉTOILE
FROM MYRIAM BEL HADJ TO MARIANNE BELAGE
This is great!
You never mentioned it!
My wife was from Oujda, on the Algerian border.
We're meeting here to choose the ballets.
- For the youngsters. - You should have told us.
It's published now, so let's move on.
This revelation does not bode well.
Marianne or Myriam, so what? We all make concessions.
I thought Snow White for the kids.
- Nutcracker? - Not Nutcracker!
What's Act 3 of Nutcracker? Chinese people, yellow, who do acrobatics.
Then totally plastered Russians. Then Arabs eating couscous.
- What then? - I love La Sylphide.
We must spell out the reality of the role.
What is this reality?
- A submissive, objectified woman. - It's feigned submission.
Deep down, she's not submissive.
It will be Snow White.
Sorry, I'm late.
For the next Démonstration, we must cast a lead role,
four supporting roles and two understudies.
Nénéh, we are still hesitating about how to cast it.
For this ballet, understand you can only be an understudy.
That's totally unfair.
Calm down.
I'm calm. I'm just the best dancer here. Everyone knows it.
I deserve a role. Even the role of Snow White.
This is the wrong attitude. Dancers must manage frustration.
What frustration? It's just unfair!
- Leave the studio. - Not until I have a role.
- Go. - No!
- Go now! - I want to be Snow White!
- Hands off me! - Out!
- Hands off! - Get out.
- Out! - Don't touch me!
You're a thug, Bel Hadj! That's forbidden by the law!
What will you do until the disciplinary boards meets?
I don't know.
Nénéh?
Eat, honey.
- Come and dance! - Stop sulking.
Come on!
- Excuse me. - Hello!
Nénéh behaved very badly
when she learned she'd be an understudy in our end-of-the-year performance.
In addition to that, she also attacked a classmate.
I admit I also made a big mistake. I should have shown
more opposition to Nénéh's school admission.
The big universities,
the most prestigious administrations,
the most powerful companies must all promote diversity.
But that does not apply here.
We are not the New York City Ballet.
We are the guarantors of the tradition of white ballet.
I'm glad you said it.
We hear your arguments,
but the board cannot omit what you did to Nénéh.
Smack, slap: call it what you will.
No, the disciplinary board must decide
on the punishment we give Nénéh-Fanta Gnaoré.
As for me, when I was a student, many teachers "smacked" students,
as you say, and no one died.
Luckily, times have changed.
Let's consider expulsion.
I think it's the best solution.
Go on, Nénéh. We're listening.
I'm sorry, I misbehaved.
Ever since, I have a burning knot in my belly.
I'm so embarrassed for my parents.
That's only natural, right?
I'm sure she's thought it over with her parents' help.
Nénéh stays in the school.
I don't agree. We haven't even deliberated.
What are you afraid of?
Recidivism.
You refer to this poor girl like a criminal.
What's more, we should also be questioning ourselves.
This is not a Montessori school!
End of discussion. Nénéh stays with us.
Marianne, you should take a step back.
- Go on vacation. - Firing me?
I didn't say that. But I do think you need rest.
This meeting is over. Thank you, everyone.
Thank you. Come.
So is she a bitch or isn't she?
- I say bitch. - Me too.
Stop, she's hospitalized. Show some respect.
She's doesn't own that she's Arab. She's ashamed!
She doesn't respect her mom, her dad!
So why respect her?
- She's a bitch. A double bitch. - You're so mean.
Imagine if we were ashamed to be Black.
We have no choice but to own being Black.
Why are you criticizing her? I'd have done the same.
I'm shocked, I swear. Listen to you!
You don't know what being Black is outside the projects!
You don't know how hard it is!
Stop! Are you kidding me?
We've worked on this for 3 weeks. Must I hold your hands?
You're not in it!
We'll change. Do grands sauts with grands jetées but développés.
It can do it normal.
- Sorry, excuse me. - Serves you right.
Dance is individual exercise practiced as a group.
You're in the group or not.
Sit and watch, it'll do you good.
Stay there all week. I need a vacation.
Let's start. I hope I won't be interrupted.
Tombé, glissade, pas de bourré, grand jeté développé,
piqué, arabesque ouverte, fouetté quatrième, petite course.
I want the accent with the head.
Do the passé fouetté and 1, accent with head and arms.
No shoulders. All the weight is on the leg.
Careful when you land. Heels first, no 3/4 positions, there!
I know I'm not where I belong, that I'm taking someone else's spot.
Sorry for the bother.
Don't tell my mom I left.
She'll get worked up for nothing.
I worry her enough as it is.
Now that I'm gone, I hope
Ms. Belage or Bel Hadj, who's an amazing teacher,
can return where she belongs.
I don't know what to tell you.
What should I say?
Nénéh and I have always gotten along very well.
If I was mean to her,
I regret it.
- Hey. - I'll take your ID.
- It's for Child Services. - You do your job, I'll do mine.
Here.
Get up, we're going.
Move it.
Get in the car.
I'm sick of being Black. Why can't I be white like everyone?
You're not sick of being Black.
You're sick of how Blacks are treated in France.
I want to be white. I want to quit dancing and ballet school.
You go to class on Monday.
I said no. Doesn't my opinion count?
- Adults can't decide my life. - Get in.
I want to go back to my old life!
You belong in that school. The teachers said so.
If you doubt, you'll never make it.
I don't feel like it, Dad.
Be brave when you suffer.
Be brave, child.
I swear, I don't want to anymore.
Let's get back to... Girls!
Thank you.
"The mouse eats the cat."
We're in action, the active voice. The mouse eats the big creature.
Now I want the opposite, but it's still...
Yes?
Nénéh, the principal wants to see you.
I won't be able to.
It's too hard for me.
I was like you.
When I got into ballet school at your age,
I didn't like the atmosphere.
I didn't know the vocabulary. I didn't know the codes.
I felt different. And I suffered.
But I had a body that was made for dance.
So I danced like a warrior and got no pleasure.
Then one day, Claude Bessy, who was my teacher,
she said: "I chose you for your weaknesses".
And then,
dance became...
like breathing.
- I'm ready. - Let's go, child.