Michael Cusumano was a ballet prodigy with his career ahead of him, but when life doesn’t go as planned, he finds refuge from trauma and liberation as his alter ego, Russian ballet instructor, Madame Olga.
Michael Cusumano began dancing at the age of six and became the youngest male in the American Ballet Theater by fifteen. After being molested, his self-esteem and confidence were stripped away and his career of being the next big star vanished. On his journey to self-evolution, the former ballet prodigy created an alter ego, that of a Russian ballet instructor named Madame Olga. Olga not only allows him to continue expressing himself through dance but heal from his past trauma.
Teaching students in a fun, positive environment where self-love is one of his most important messages, Michael finally has an epiphany where he discovered the character he’d created emerged to help him heal the spirit of his younger self. This is such a beautiful, heartfelt film that is truly inspiring giving hope to all he touches through dance and his story.
Available to stream on PBS Voices Youtube Channel in June
