In Black Swan, Natalie Portman played a ballerina faced with a career role as the Swan Princess. Throughout the movie, she possesses all the qualities of the White Swan but struggles to find her Black Swan within until he finds herself being encompassed by the role that soon takes her life.
Natalie Portman is very believable for her role not only for her acting skills but for her ballerina dancing skills as well. But should she take all the credit? Natalie's dancing double Sarah Lane is speaking out because she feels she hasn't received enough credit in this highly acclaimed film.
Natalie's dancing partner/baby daddy/fiance Benjamin Millepied comes to her defense by saying that Natalie did 85% of the dancing. But dancing double and American Ballet Soloist Sarah Lane claims Natalie was only in 5% of the body shots. She says, "It is demeaning to the profession and not just to me. I've been doing this for 22 years...Can you become a concert pianist in a year and a half, even if you're a movie star?" As for Natalie's ballet dancing skills, Sarah says, "I mean, from a professional dancer's standpoint, she doesn't look like a professional ballet dancer at all, and she can't dance in pointe shoes. And she can't move her body; she's very stiff."
What caused Sarah Lane to speak up on this matter was her lack of recognition in Black Swan. For the credits, she wasn't even mentioned as Natalie's Dancing Double, only as an Extra! And what makes matters worse is that she wasn't even mentioned in Natalie's acceptance speech or during awards season. Though Portman never tried taking credit for all her dance scenes, she did admit to using a dance double for the complicated turn sequences.
Whatever the situation is, was Natalie Portman wrong for not mentioning Sarah Lane in any of her many acceptance speeches for this film? Should Sarah have been given more credit for her role in Black Swan, other than Extra? Hmm, it's a complicating situation...
You Just Do You, Imma Do Me
Camille
