A rare photographic journal published in 2001 to commemorate 40 years of the Dutch National Ballet. Dutch photographer and filmmaker Dana Lixenberg followed the ballet group for 1 week before a premiere, seeking to document the people behind the graceful performers and what it means to be a dancer offstage–where dancing is strenuous and pretence is reality–preparing for a first night. As Lixenberg ventures behind the curtain, she enables the viewer to feel the performers’ fatigue following total exertion, as the strength and perseverance required to endure such training is thrown into sharp relief.