In the world of John Wick, action choreography is an art form. For Ballerina, director Chad Stahelski and the legendary 87Eleven action design team faced a unique challenge: how do you create fight sequences that honor the John Wick legacy while introducing something entirely new to the franchise?
The answer lay in the character herself. Eve Macarro, played by Ana de Armas, is a product of the Ruska Roma – a clandestine organization that poses as a ballet academy while secretly training orphans to become elite assassins. This unique background provided the perfect foundation for a revolutionary approach to action choreography.
The Ballet-Combat Fusion
Chad Stahelski, who directed all four John Wick films and serves as producer on Ballerina, explains the creative philosophy behind Eve's unique fighting style:
"With John Wick, we established a very specific language of violence – precise, efficient, almost mechanical in its perfection. With Ballerina, we wanted to maintain that precision but add a layer of artistic expression. Every kill needed to be both brutal and beautiful."
The 87Eleven team, renowned for their work on the John Wick series, The Matrix, and countless other action classics, spent months developing what they call "balletic brutality" – a fighting style that seamlessly blends classical ballet movements with lethal combat techniques.
The Research Phase
Before any choreography could begin, the team conducted extensive research into both ballet and historical assassination techniques. They studied everything from Russian ballet masters to Cold War espionage files, looking for ways to authentically merge these seemingly disparate worlds.
Key Research Elements:
- Classical ballet positions and their potential for concealed weapons
- Historical accounts of the Bolshoi Ballet during the Soviet era
- Real-world examples of ballet schools used for intelligence training
- Biomechanical analysis of ballet movements for combat adaptation
- Study of various international assassination techniques and styles
Creating Eve's Signature Style
Action choreographer Jonathan Eusebio, who has worked on all John Wick films, led the development of Eve's signature combat style. The process involved collaborating with professional ballet dancers, martial artists, and weapons specialists to create something truly unique.
"We started by taking classical ballet positions – your basic first through fifth positions, arabesques, grand jetés – and asked ourselves: how can these become weapons?" explains Eusebio. "A pirouette becomes a way to dodge gunfire while simultaneously drawing a blade. An arabesque becomes a killing position with a firearm."
The Five Pillars of Eve's Combat Style
Ballerina's Combat Philosophy:
- Grace Under Pressure: Maintaining ballet's fluidity even in brutal combat
- Spatial Awareness: Using ballet's emphasis on stage presence for tactical advantage
- Rhythmic Violence: Fighting to an internal musical tempo
- Artistic Brutality: Making each kill a performance piece
- Emotional Expression: Using dance to convey character psychology during action
The Training Regiment
Ana de Armas underwent an intensive six-month training program to master this unique fighting style. The regime was designed by 87Eleven in collaboration with former American Ballet Theatre principal dancers and martial arts specialists.
"Ana had to literally reprogram her muscle memory. We needed her to think like a dancer first, then layer the combat training on top. It was like learning to speak two languages simultaneously."
The training was divided into three phases:
Phase 1: Foundation (Months 1-2)
Pure ballet training to build the necessary strength, flexibility, and muscle memory. De Armas worked with former Bolshoi Ballet dancers to master classical positions and movements.
Phase 2: Integration (Months 3-4)
Gradual introduction of weapons and combat elements into ballet routines. This phase focused on maintaining graceful movement while handling firearms, blades, and improvised weapons.
Phase 3: Mastery (Months 5-6)
Full-speed action sequences combining ballet, combat, and stunt work. By this phase, de Armas could seamlessly transition from a grand jeté into a takedown without breaking the flow of movement.
Signature Sequences
While we can't reveal all the film's secrets, Stahelski and his team have created several signature sequences that showcase this unique choreographic approach:
The Music Box Sequence: A fight scene set in a antique music store where Eve's movements literally dance to the tempo of mechanical music boxes, with each musical note triggering a different attack.
The Mirror Hall: An homage to classical ballet films, this sequence takes place in a dance studio lined with mirrors, where reflections become both weapons and camouflage.
The Final Ballet: Without spoiling anything, the film's climax features what the team calls "the deadliest dance performance ever captured on film."
Technical Innovation
To capture this unique choreography, the team employed several technical innovations:
Technical Achievements:
- 360-degree camera rigs to capture the full scope of ballet movements
- High-speed cameras for slow-motion ballet-combat sequences
- Specialized rigging for aerial ballet movements during fights
- Motion capture technology to analyze and perfect movement patterns
- Custom weapons designed to complement ballet positions
Honoring the John Wick Legacy
Despite the revolutionary approach, the team was careful to maintain the elements that make John Wick action sequences legendary: practical effects, real stunts, and visceral impact.
"We never forgot that this is still a John Wick universe film. The ballet elements enhance the violence; they don't replace it. Every beautiful moment is punctuated by brutal reality."
The result is action choreography that feels both familiar and revolutionary – unmistakably part of the John Wick universe while establishing its own unique identity. When Ballerina hits theaters on June 6, 2025, audiences will witness the evolution of action cinema, where every fight is a performance and every kill is a work of art.