Cat_D.B.

Thank you very much for the link to this interview Lilian, it's really interesting! I have to say, our young man also has a wonderful voice Graham Norton was very impressed by the fact that such a young man has already reached so much in his life. Confess to us, Liliana, is he part of the conspiracy too?

I agree perfectly with you Naomi and with your previous post. In Munich I met a young Japanese woman who came from Tokyo specifically to see Polunin dancing and she told me she had met him after an event in Japan - maybe the presentation of Dancer? and asked him if he enjoyed his stay there, and him, kindly as usual,told her that he was absolutely fascinated by Japanese culture and that he was taking advantage of his stay to deepen some concepts in particular ... Perhaps he was already thinking about his piece, who knows?

The point is, there are many ways to express an opinion. I think Liliana was also too kind! Personally I find Penelope's post, rude and offensive. Liliana has published an official communication of the Bayerische Staatsballet, if you doesn't like it, it's your problem. She is excited that her favorite dancer returns in Munich and happy for his success. If you don't like it or if you have never experienced genuine enthusiasm for someone or something, it's always your problem. And let me say that comments like Penelope's or like yours too, as well as being offensive are also extremely presumptuous: I'm not a teenager and in my life I have seen many good dancers, even great dancers, in theaters all around the world and despite my age I can assure you I still have the mental faculties and the knowledge to judge critically Polunin, and to consider him an exceptional artist without fear of being judged by presumptuous ballettomanes who believe to know everything just because they have seen ten thousand replicas of the Swan Lake and the Nutcracker every Christmas! If Polunin and his existence disturb you so much, I'm sure you can spend your time in more profitable and useful ways elsewhere, so anyone who really is interested in talking about art can do it without wasting time in useless discussions! Holy sky, that's why so many young people see the ballet as an old dinosaur dying in ridiculous tights!

I saw Polunin in the Taming of Shrew and he was brilliant! He was in splendid shape and as always the laws of physics seem not to concern him. His athleticism is like ... wrapped in elegance, he moves like a panther on the stage and as always I was hit by his sense of the scenic space and by the way he feels the music. It's difficult to explain, but when you have often seen Polunin dance, in different theaters, with different orchestras, different partners, you notice this way of him of following music and moving on stage not as an action, but like...a fish in the water. Today only metaphors with the animal kingdom! I usually prefer the tragic ballets, but in fact this kind of role allows you to appreciate even more the expressiveness of his dance and his acting, because he manages to give a psychological deep and shades that the characters of the happy ballets in most cases don't have. In my two favorite versions of the The Taming of the Shrew film , that of Poggioli and that of Zeffirelli, both Nazzari and Burton, but especially Burton (Ah, Burton! I had a little crush on him ) take advantage of a certain physical size and play easily with the concept of Petrucchio / Ogre, while Polunin, who has such a fine and slender beauty, has conferred to the character a different nuance that someone has rightly defined "mephistofelian": his Petrucchio was sharp and foxy, obstinate, mocking and irreverent, frightening when the part required it but also capable of incredibly tender glances, which made the title of the work very realistic ! I don't particularly like Osipova, but for this role her grimacing and rash gestures were perfect. Also I always notes that Polunin is one of the few dancers who can contain her excesses while leaving her extremely free. In general, it's evident that the company is getting closer and finding a balance and that Zelensky's ambition will bring great results. The cold climate is not good for my health but for this Polunin in a state of grace, I decided to face the nordic winter for this Bayerische season. My bones will lament, but my heart will sing!

What a folkloristic concept of "debacle" you have in English: sold outs for all the dates, screaming applause, crowds of fans, photographic exhibits and books about a show that doesn't even have a year of life...My God, the successes in England must be something really stunning!

What a wonderful news! I watched Sadler's Wells hoping for new dates, but I'm very happy that he performs at the London Coliseum. Considering the speed at which seats are booked, I would say that the show promises to be sold out. Again. Perhaps British ballet critics live in a dusty eighteenth-century bubble, but not so the rest of the world. In any case, high-end tickets (such as special tickets for £400, which includes various extra, such as a tour behind the scenes, the possibility to meet the casts, etc.) have been almost all already taken. There is still some decent mid-range seat, but I don't think they will still be available for a long time.

Because of health problems, it's been a long time since my last ballet, but I did everything to recover in time for Mayerling, and is well worth it. I was really impressed. Polunin was a joy for the eyes, I could not describe him otherwise. Often the naturalness of gesture means less technical precision, while a great technical precision means affectation, even ostentatious. With him you get the impression of observing a rare animal in its natural habitat, a fish in the water. Not only he was in great shape, but more time passes, more his interpretation is enriched with new shades. The intensity of his Rudolf is disarming. It seemed that the audience could not clapping loud enough, so at some point from the balconies have also begun to stomp. He rarely goes out alone for the curtain call, but the public demanded it, four, five times. Standing ovations absolutely deserved. Very good the group of officers, and a special note for Saryal Afanasev as Bratfish. Good the "team" Kardash, Limenko, Krapivina and Pershenkova, although there has been some uncertainty, a little slip of the Pershenkova for example, along with some small technical incident. Also on the first night, the Somova was suddenly replaced by Xenia Shevtsova at the end of the second act, a young ballerina still a little green, but very pretty, light and perfect for the role. From this point of view, even though Polunin is a freelance, he has emerged as the company's mainstay: he was able to handle any problem with elegance and naturalness. I admit I trembled when I saw enter the substitute in the bedroom scene, but she turned out to be definitely up, and Polunin drove her wonderfully through the pitfalls of the infernal pas de deux from MacMillan, compensating perfectly her comprehensible (and however little) uncertainties. A great night!

I agree completely with Bridies, the choreography was generally a disappointment as much as to see Osipova in this context. The only quality moments there were thank to Polunin, which has proven again to be a real artist, complete and versatile well as exquisitely and absurdly humble (his name wasn't even on the bill, despite his presence was essential). Someone even talk to follow in Sylvie Guillem footsteps and for me this it's exactly the point: Osipova has worked very hard on this performance (and this is the least, considering the title of the show), but there are things you cannot "build"; you cannot just put in a blender many excellent ingredients to create something good, I'm sorry. So, yes, yesterday I saw the spirit of Sylvie, but in the other half of the couple .

Well, I just find amazing that Polunin let us discuss, because when there are no dissenting views is time to start worrying in my opinion! Great artists are also important for this; having said that, I would go back to the main topic of saying that in addition to the dear Sergei, I hope to see even Lucia Lacarra in Munich, who I hope will find an adequate place in the next season. She previously collaborated with Zelensky in the past, or am I wrong?

I agree with you, Lilian: most of the time are loose cannons to make art history! And I always think of my first love, Rudolph Nureyev: he actually was a troublemaker! But when I met Polunin after a peformance...well I was really surprised: a boy so polite, shy, always kind and even gallant! (Without malice, I'm an old lady, so I can say it! ) In my day bad boys were definitely different! In any case, it's important what he does on stage, so I think, as Angela well said, that the possibility of seeing him dance beats every objection!

Thank you very much, I'm happy to be with you!

If Zelensky will bring "the prince" in Monaco, to interpret Spartacus and Mayerling, he will have all my gratitude!I would go to Russia to see Polunin dance in this ballets and probably I will do it anyway, but go to Germany is a bit easier and I find very interesting the Bayerische ballet