Myla + Jon Kabat-Zinn

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"I wanted to make a short film that speaks to us of Lauren’s experience of returning to dance as a new mother, having had a baby during Covid lockdown. Personal, authentic and heartfelt, Lauren returns to the dance studio, refreshed, more focuses, and stronger than ever."

"The film is a kind of sequel to the original ‘Portrait of a dancer’ we made with Lauren for Nowness in 2016 and follows a similar format. Shot in Black and White, ‘Step by Step’ starts with a documentary element, where Lauren lets us into her innermost feelings (this time surrounding pregnancy and childbirth) before taking to the dance floor to express herself in the way she knows best. And this time, Lauren – the consummate classical ballerina – has ditched the pointe shoes and is dancing to an expressive contemporary piece of choreography created on her by acclaimed Dutch choreographer, Didy Veldman."

"I wanted to film an intensely personal performance expressing Lauren’s feelings as she returns to dance having stepped away from the dance studio for the longest time since she began dancing at the age of 8. With a new baby, and a newly reconditioned body, the choreography celebrates a sense of new beginning, an expanded perspective and new-found commitment to her art. Lauren is taken somewhere new choreographically, reflecting a new beginning in her life, as a mother and as a dancer."

The film was shot at English National Ballet’s studios at the Mulryan Centre for Dance, London City Island.

The music was created for the piece by the Serbian composer Nemanja Mosurovic.

- Andy Margetson (writer / director)