MAIKO - Dancing child
A Sant & Usant production
Maiko's destiny was decided before she was born. Her name Maiko means dancing child. Her mother, the driving force behind her career, sold their home to send 14-year-old Maiko to the most prestigious dancing schools in Europe.
This film is as honest and powerful as it is beautiful in its successful attempt to com- municate the difficulties of becoming a mother and reaching your career goals.
- Radio Interview: on WKCC’s The Reel FocusMaiko: Dancing Child is a film about a woman whose tough training and hard discipline has brought her to the top of her career as a prima ballerina in the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet. She was only a girl when she left her family and her hometown in Japan for Europe with her sights set on becoming a professional dancer. With her mother as the driving force behind her career, her family sold their home and car to afford to send Maiko to the most prestigious dancing schools in Europe.
When we meet Maiko she is 32 years old and has positioned itself as one of the leading prima ballerinas in the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet. She is not a young dancer anymore, but is in good shape and feels she is still capable to push. But Maiko has also reached a time in her life where she longs to have her own family. The ballet director wants to build the company and to do that she needs to bring more and bigger solo-dancers to the company.
Maiko enters a tough time when she must prove she deserves a place among the best dancers while her dream of one day becoming mom grows stronger.
The film captures Maiko at a crossroad in her life where she fights to stay on top and follows her own personal aspirations.