Dancer Performs on Bow of Ponant Ship in Antarctica

Bow - Ponant Dancer

A ballet dancer made a special performance on the bow of Ponant’s Le Boreal during a recent cruise in Antarctica.

In footage shared on Instagram, Victoria Dauberville is seen dancing at the bulbous bow of the expedition vessel amid icy waters.

Along with a behind-the-scenes clip, the short video went viral and reached over 60 million views since being published earlier this month.

According to a report by Bored Panda, the images were captured by Dauberville’s boyfriend, photographer Mathieu Forget, after an invitation from Ponant.

Once onboard Le Boreal, the couple connected with the ship’s officers, who told them about the opportunity to access the bulbous bow, an area typically off-limits for guests.

“We knew the conditions would be challenging, but we also knew that if we could pull it off, it would be spectacular,” he told Bored Panda.

The couple trained for the performance during a visit to South Georgia before recording the viral video during a stop in Antarctica.

According to Forget, the crew purposely positioned the ship among the ice to make “setting even more extraordinary.”

“I started taking photos and videos, and then Victoria performed. It became clear that the contrast between her movement, her tutu, and the dramatic environment was far more striking than anything else we had imagined,” he said in his interview with Bored Panda.

He also revealed that the greatest challenge was dealing with the region’s weather conditions, including the low temperatures, the wind and the constant motion of the ship.

A major player in Antarctica, Ponant is currently offering expeditions to Antarctica onboard four vessels: Le Boreal, L’Austral, Le Lyrial and Le Soléal.

While the first three sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the Antarctica Peninsula and surrounding areas, the latter sails from New Zealand for the Ross Sea region.

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