Watch Amazon’s holiday ad starring young French ballet dancer

The show must go on. 

Amazon unveiled its 2020 holiday campaign, which tells the story of a young ballet dancer as she navigates the setbacks of this year and delivers an inspiring performance — amid falling snow — for her friends, family and neighbors.

"Our holiday campaign is inspired by, and pays tribute to, the unbeatable human spirit and the power of community that we have witnessed so often this year," said Simon Morris, VP of global Creative at Amazon.

The campaign features 17-year-old French ballet dancer, Taïs Vinolo, who—much like the character in the ad—has continued to train and practice her craft even while her dreams of dancing a lead role are cancelled due to COVID-19. She continues to practice her routing, dancing wherever she can. Inspired by her resolve, her sister and the community around her pull together to give her an audience and stage—complete with a spotlight that a neighbor orders on Amazon.

The campaign, which features an original arrangement of the classic song "The Show Must Go On" by Queen, was shot by award-winning director Melina Matsoukas, whose previous directing credits include music videos for Beyonce’s 'Formation' and Rihanna’s 'We Found Love,' and the movie, 'Queen & Slim.'

"When I was growing up in the French countryside, there were no young black girls with hair like mine studying ballet, or even on TV, meaning I had no one to identify myself with,” said Vinolo. “Being on this shoot helped so much—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 the world is going through."