The Heart Dances - The Journey of The Piano: the Ballet

In 2015 celebrated Czech choreographer Jiří Bubeníček and his twin brother and designer Otto adapted award-winning film The Piano into a full-length ballet. With her second big screen documentary, Crossing Rachmaninoff director Rebecca Tansley followed the pair as they arrive in New Zealand, and begin expanding  their original production for a 2018 season with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Bubeníček faces difficult artistic decisions as he and Māori Advisor Moss Te Ururangi Patterson try to find common ground while deepening the ballet's Māori elements and themes.

I don't want it to have it written in the reviews 'Czech guy came and tried to imitate Māori'.

– Chereographer Jiří Bubeníček worries about getting the Māori cultural material right

Key Cast & Crew

Simon Raby

Cinematographer

Thomas Gleeson

Editor

Rebecca Tansley

Director, Producer

Robin Laing

Producer

Moss Te Ururangi Patterson

Subject - Māori Advisor on Piano ballet

Otto Bubeníček

Subject - Designer of Piano ballet