Have you ever ever considered dancing on pointe on the bow of a ship in beneath freezing temperatures? Properly, French ballerina and choreographer Victoria Dauberville did simply that, so that you don’t need to!
Just lately, Dauberville carried out a panoramic ballet routine on the bulbous bow of Ponant’s Le Boréal cruise ship in Antarctica.
Photographer Mathieu Overlook captured the gorgeous moments when Dauberville graced the Le Boréal’s bow, rapidly amassing 3.6 million views on TikTok and 9.5 million views on Instagram.
The video itself is so spectacular that many social media customers questioned if it was made with AI. The preliminary video was posted January eighth, however the couple have posted a number of movies since together with one which reveals simply how Dauberville was in a position to get on the bow safely from a inflexible inflatable boat (RIB).
For context on the temperatures within the elements of Antarctica the place this explicit expedition vessel visits, the common temperature within the Antarctic Peninsula is 28° F (-2° C).
As talked about above, the Dauberville’s efficiency befell on on Le Boréal, a luxurious expedition vessel owned by the French cruise line Compagnie du Ponant. This ship is on the smaller aspect, being solely 10,944 gross tons and with sufficient room for 264 visitors.
Le Boréal can also be recognized for its upscale design in addition to its ice-strengthened hull, which was constructed to assist navigate the difficult voyages each to and round Antarctica.
The intense setting of the tough ice-filled southern ocean in Antarctica showcased a stark distinction with Dauberville’s elegant dancing, making a visually fascinating second the world appears to be obsessive about.
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Overlook, who can also be Dauberville’s boyfriend, defined that the couple had skilled for this second throughout a earlier journey they took to South Georgia.
“We knew the situations could be difficult, however we additionally knew that if we may pull it off, it could be spectacular,” Overlook defined, highlighting the couple’s dedication to their imaginative and prescient for this excessive act of artwork.
Overlook and Dauberville have been fortunate sufficient to work with the ship’s crew on this mission, with the crew going as far as to place the ship strategically in the most effective place for Dauberville’s efficiency to face out.
It’s really unbelievable that this second was doable given the areas a number of difficult climate situations comparable to extraordinarily low temperatures and excessive winds.
Regardless of the acute circumstances, Dauberville executed her dance and Overlook captured each second.
This awe-inspiring efficiency not solely highlights the great thing about ballet but additionally attracts consideration to the distinctive experiences provided by Antarctic cruises. Ponant has three different expedition ships that go to the Antarctic, together with the Le Lyrial, L’Austral, and Le Soléal, so there isn’t a lack of choices.
Dauberville’s dance serves as a strong reminder of the Antarctic’s breathtaking magnificence, and which you could convey your passions with you wherever, even to the (literal) ends of the earth.
Cruise Ship Bulbous Bow Déjà Vu
This isn’t the primary time somebody has dared to step foot on the bulbous bow of a ship. Captain Kevin Oprey was photographed on the bulbous bow of the Queen Mary 2 throughout its Tenth-anniversary world cruise.
Whereas the surroundings won’t be as excessive a mile off the coast of Bali, the place the common temperature is 81° F (27° C), the Queen Mary 2 is the most important ocean liner ever constructed.
In a YouTube video posted by consumer “nautilusint” again in 2014, the method of photographing the captain displayed the large measurement of the ship sitting at 72 meter (236.2 ft) tall. To place this into perspective, the ship’s peak is equal to a 24-story constructing.
Not like using a RIB to get to the bulbous bow of the Le Boréal within the Antarctic, the captain of the Queen Mary 2, together with some crew members, used one of many ship’s lifeboats to entry the bow for this distinctive picture shoot.
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“I’m very happy with the image. In years to return, I’ll look again on it with nice delight,” stated Captain Kevin Oprey.
The session took 5 hours of affected person ready till situations allowed Captain Oprey to face on the bulbous bow. Two security boats accompanied the captain through the shoot, making certain his security, whereas photographer James Morgan captured these iconic photographs from a smaller boat proper in entrance of the ship.