'POINTE: Dancing On A Knife’s Edge' is the culmination of a decade-long passion project by local filmmaker Dawn Jackson.
The documentary follows Floeur Alder, a multi-talented dancer and daughter of Lucette Aldous (famed Prima Ballerina), and Alan Alder (a noted ballet dancer, and choreographer). After a horrific incident in Perth’s Highgate suburb, Floeur’s future is thrown into uncertainty.
'POINTE' incorporates found footage, news clippings, broadcast interviews, and familial archives amidst engaging dance videography and dramatisations, creating a patchwork documentary of rediscovery. After returning from Europe, Floeur was walking home when an assailant attacked her – and it wasn’t until the man had walked away, that she realised a blade had pierced her face and barely missed her carotid artery. Once rushed to hospital, a crisis of faith and future gripped hold of the young dancer. Would she be able to dance again?
A passion which had been brewing since her childhood, and in the shadow of her family’s legacy, Floeur fought for her right to dance once more, with 12 months of rehabilitation. She returned to the stage in 2001 with Ikuri.
However, dance had lost its joy. It had become a conduit for her rage. With her formative years building a foundation for her future as a dancer, so many hopes and dreams became interrupted.
Within her healing journey, Floeur shifted away from classic dance and incorporated contemporary styles into her work. This resulted in a collaboration with her famous parents, Rare Earth. The first of an intergenerational family performance. A few pockets of laughter among the audience, as her parents reflect on their daughter being a master, and now they’re the students, as she challenges their dance technique and knowledge for the work.
Rare Earth did more than just bring her closer to her parents, but started a re-ignition of her passions for dance overall.
When asked if she felt joy when she danced, Floeur replied: “I’m starting to. . .”
Her solo work became the catharsis of years of built-up pain, anger, and shame over the incident and how her life changed trajectory. The force of the immersion continuously resulting in a therapeutic release of emotion.
'POINTE' delivers a poignant look into legacy, and the struggle between allowing yourself to succumb to the darkest moments, or finding your own inner light to break free. The documentary may seem slow, or repetitive at times, but it should be noted that it holds space to build momentum, eliciting what was stolen from Floeur by its conclusion.
A poetic story of an artist working through trauma, with art, showcasing why art is as important and relevant for our mental health and wellbeing.
