The image of a ballerina in Russian cinema becomes a mirror of the changes taking place in society. The author chooses a ballerina as an object of study as the most relevant artistic image in the spiritual life of Russia. This is due to the fact that ballet itself as art turns out to be closely connected with many cultural, social and political processes that take place in Russian society, throughout the existence of not only cinema, but also the ballet itself. In different periods of cinema, oppositional semantic connotations were hidden behind this feminine image — from dubious, from the point of view of patriarchal morality, reputation to a fgure of national importance. The author declares the task and proves that in perestroika cinematograph ballet dancer takes over and successfully implements the role of director, reforming the Soviet art, which has lost its urgency and relevance.