Etoile in French means “star,” but specifically in the context of ballet, it means the “star dancer” or “star performer,” i.e., what “Prima Donna” is to opera, Etoile is to ballet. The Prime show tells the story of two dance companies planning a massive transatlantic project like never before. In a world that’s forgotten the art of classical dance, Genevieve and Jack are struggling to keep the money flowing into their respective ballet companies, the biggest in New York and Paris. But when business mogul Crispin Shamblee, a capitalist and a fan, offers to fund the ballet, specifically this project, Genevieve comes up with this brilliant idea to swap dancers between the two companies to give both cities something new to enjoy. The exchange includes a French girl who previously got kicked out of Paris and has been living in New York for two years, Paris’ best Etoile, or rather the world’s, and New York’s best choreographer, and others.
Straight off the bat, I’m going to be honest: there’s definitely less dancing on the show than there is drama. What can I say? It’s all about the tea, isn’t it? The first actual dance performance is in the 4th episode, which is fine, I guess, but then it definitely felt like there could’ve been more, even in the practice room. Maybe I was imagining something like Glee, where there are at least 3 songs in every episode. Maybe I misremember, but I was expecting a lot more dance on this show. However, one interesting thing is that Etoile focuses on dance in a more psychological manner. There are some beautiful performances among the few we get to see; however, only the final piece is truly enthralling. I know that’s to make it feel impactful, but I just wish there could’ve been more, is all.
When I say it focuses more on the psychological aspect, I mean that each main character of the series has a different relationship with the dance form. For the artist, it is a passion for expressing themselves; for the choreographer, it is a form of perfection; and for the boss, it is a passion that feels somewhat lost. I think the genre you’d put this show in would be dance-comedy, but in my opinion, it’s a dance-dramedy that relies heavily on the drama. In many parts, the show is reminiscent of old soaps and feels almost like it’s straight out of 2013, maybe because it doesn’t have the odd color grading of today’s shows. I really quite liked that. But the thing that truly makes me want to recommend this show is the characters and how each of them grew on me from start to finish.
I think it’s specifically Jack who has the strongest impression on me, because he starts off as someone you want to despise, and then you slowly start to understand why he is the way he is, and you can’t help but feel empathetic towards him. Or maybe it’s simply Luke Kirby who brings the character to life with his almost demure appearance juxtaposed with his loud personality. I thoroughly enjoyed this combination, and it made me want to stick around till the end. Charlotte Gainsbourg is very convincing as Genevieve, in that she really made me root for her project and ideas. Also, I would love to ask her about her hair-care routine because, dang, it looks absolutely stunning. And, speaking about hair, I’ve got to admit, the first thing that sticks out about actress Lou De Laage, who plays Cheyenne, the prodigy, the Etoile, of the show, is her long, luscious locks that flow around her like they’re dancing a dance of their own. I think the makers of the show understand this very well, because not only does she have her hair untied throughout the show, but also in the final performance, which looks absolutely stunning. And finally, there’s Gideon Glick, who plays Tobias, the choreographer, and he’s absolutely fantastic. If for nothing else, I think the four of these characters make this show worth watching. Tais Vinolo is great as Mishi, and I especially enjoyed her drunken speech. Also, she’s got a fantastic wardrobe in the show that really brings out her bubbly personality underneath all that serious dancer energy.
For a show about dance, Etoile is very dialogue-driven, and this is where the comedy comes in, I suppose. What is missing is a laugh track, but I’m so glad because it would completely ruin the natural way in which some of these characters interact with each other to give us pure comedy gold. It’s not in the way that will make you laugh out loud, but it is in a way that’ll make you smile ear to ear or let out a little giggle because it feels like an inside joke. Though I’m not going to lie, some inside jokes about NY and Parisian theatre I definitely did not get. If you’re a ballet enthusiast, you’re going to have a lot of fun with this because a lot of names get thrown around.
I suppose in a way this is a show that is trying to speak about the growth of art and where a classical form of dance stands in the world of today. I guess it combines an openness to modernization with a need to keep traditions alive in a world where attention spans are down to 30 seconds and wearing Louboutins on TikTok and doing ballet is considered awe-inspiring. I felt like the talking was a little bit too much, especially because it’s trying to be funny, the show can get a little bit draggy or boring in bits, but you can always skip some or just get some work done in the background. I think this show does a much better job at representing the French in comparison to our favorite Parisian show that I will not be naming. While it does fall back on a few stereotypes, I think it focuses more on passion rather than personality traits, which I really enjoyed. I think there’s a lot of consistency in character development, so really, there’s not much else to complain about. The show is a crisp 8 episodes and, you’ll be shocked to know, has no sex (I know! It’s half French), only mentions of it. I’d give Etoile 3.5 out of 5 stars. I think it’s got great potential and can definitely be improved if there’s a second season.
