Sergei Polunin, enfant terrible no more

"Dancers stare at themselves in the mirror almost all of the time," celebrated Ukrainian dancer Sergei Polunin said at one point during the interview. "It helps us to improve," he added.

A quick look in the mirror, highlighting a dancer's mix of insecurity and confidence, is what audiences observe in the opening scenes of a documentary on the life of the 27-year-old award-winning dancer which opened in local cinemas recently, a few days ahead of Polunin's appearance alongside acclaimed Russian ballerina Natalia Osipova at the Pallas Theater in Athens today through Saturday.

Steven Cantor's "Dancer" traces Polunin's journey of self-awareness from Ukraine to the Royal Ballet in London and his subsequent fall from glory - like a mirror reflecting himself. "It was a revelation for me, I learnt a lot about myself through this experience. It was a surprise, which I saw...