The show must go on in Amazon's Christmas ad about a ballerina's thwarted dreams

Amazon's captures the frustration and disappointments of 2020 while managing to lift spirits with a tale about a ballerina with big dreams. The online retailer's global Christmas campaign was created by Lucky Generals and is set to a new arrangement of "The Show Must Go On" by Queen. It tells the story of a young dancer awarded a main role in her ballet school's holiday show. But her hopes are dashed when the school closes; and while she continues to practice virtually and on her own, the Christmas performance ultimately gets canceled as well. However, thanks to her determination, the encouragement of her family and an Amazon purchase by a neighbor, she goes on to appear in her own solo outdoors in the snow and ice at the housing estate where she lives. Her audience is made up of her neighborhood community, who watch enthralled from their windows and balconies. The film ends with the words "The show must go on" as the girl breathes out into the freezing air. The spot was directed by Melina Matsoukas of Prettybird and stars 17-year-old dancer Taïs Vinolo from France. “When I was growing up in the French countryside, there were no young Black girls studying ballet with hair like mine, or even on TV, meaning I had no one to identify myself with," Vinolo said in a statement. "Being on this shoot helped so much with this, enabling me to own who I really am, who I want to be and what I represent. I am so proud to have been part of this project since the message of it means a lot to me and even more so in this very difficult time that the world is going through.” Breaking on U.K. TV Tuesday during "The Great British Bake Off," the ad is slated to debut in the U.S. during Sunday Night Football next weekend. It is timed to coincide with the launch of Amazon's online Christmas gift store.

The show must go on in Amazon's Christmas ad about a ballerina's thwarted dreams

Featured Stories