Apr 18, 2011 12:54 GMT  ·  By
Professional ballerina Sarah Lane insists Natalie Portman did very little of the dancing in “Black Swan”
   Professional ballerina Sarah Lane insists Natalie Portman did very little of the dancing in “Black Swan”

A few weeks ago, internationally famous ballet soloist Sarah Lane stepped forward with a story that perhaps few of the many millions who saw the Oscar-winning film “Black Swan” suspected: she did most of the dancing for it, not Natalie Portman.

The professional ballerina sat down with ABC 20/20 to talk a bit more about the controversy, especially in light of Portman’s denial that Lane’s claims are true.

As we also reported at the time, it all started when Portman’s fiancé said in an interview that the actress did most of the dancing in the film.

Lane responded that Portman did about 5 percent of all the dancing, prompting swift reactions from the movie studio, director Darren Aronofsky, co-star Mila Kunis and, eventually, Portman herself, who said she didn’t want to get into this “nastiness” and ruin the experience of the film.

The ballerina, who is not even credited in the film as a body double, is now fighting back, saying that she’s not out for fame or media attention: she just doesn’t believe it fair to make it sound like Portman learned in a year and a half what ballerinas learn in 20 years.

She also says, as the video below will confirm, that she was told not to give interviews about Portman’s exact contribution to the dance sequences in the film until the Oscars were over.

“[A producer] asked if I would please not do any more interviews until after the Oscars because it was bad for Natalie’s image,” the ballerina explains.

The purpose was, all along, to market “Black Swan” as the role for which Portman completely transformed herself, for which she did more than just act.

“They were trying to create this image, this facade, really, that Natalie had done something extraordinary. Something that is pretty much impossible… to become a professional ballerina in a year and half,” Lane says.

“Even with as hard as she worked, it takes so much more. It takes twenty-two years, it takes thirty years to become a ballerina,” she adds.

“Full body shots with actual dancing is me. That’s why they hired me,” Lane insists.

Sarah Lane doesn’t want more money from producers because she’s been paid enough for the dancing she did: she probably just wants them to man up and admit that, indeed, while Portman’s talent is undeniable, she’s a great actress but not a professional ballerina.