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Sergei Polunin - news and discussions - cont'd


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3 hours ago, penelopesimpson said:

Would love to go but Verona inhigh summer _ and will Polunin turn up?

The million dollar question....but I glean from social media that they are friends so maybe that’s added incentive.  

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International ballet stars Sergei Polunin and Johan Kobborg will perform in a new mixed programme at the London Palladium from 28 May to 1 June 2019.  The programme on 28, 29 and 30 May will feature three one-act ballets: Fraudulent SmileParadox and Sacré. The programme on 31 May and 1 June will feature the world premiere of Rasputin, with a final ballet to be announced at a later date.

Fraudulent Smile is choreographed by Ross Freddie Ray to music by KROKE and will star Sergei Polunin and Johan Kobborg, with further casting to be announced.

Paradox and Sacré have both been choreographed by Japanese dancer and choreographer Yuka Oishi. Paradox is performed to music by Stravinsky (Soldier’s Tale) and Chopin and will star Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre first soloist Alexey Lyubimov and Belgrade National Theatre first soloist Dejan Kolarov. Sacré is a piece of tanztheater set to Stravinsky’s iconic The Rite of Spring. It is a solo piece starring Sergei Polunin. Both Paradox and Sacré explore aspects of the life of famous dancer Vaslav Nijinsky in his 130th birthday year, with Sacré reinterpreting his infamous ballet Le Sacre du Printemps, originally created for Ballets Russes in 1913. The ballets are  inspired by Nijinsky’s demand for a “feeling, not thinking Human”, by master pieces of the Art Brut – the movement of the outsider art, by the essence of rebellion.

The world premiere of Rasputin is also choreographed by Yuka Oishi, with a new score by Russia’s most prominent representative of the neoclassical music scene, Kirill Richter, set design by Otto Bubenicek. The title role will be performed by Sergei Polunin, the rest of the cast will be announced at a later date. Rasputin explores the life of the Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Tsar Nicholas II.

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Hmmm....lots of stuff by Yuka Oishi.  A friend of mine recently saw Natalia Osipova in a piece of Oishi's called Ave Maria (in New York).  In the programme notes, Oishi said "Despite the music, this is not a religious piece".  However,  Osipova was in a long white dress, apparently doing choreography with religious connotations.  Not sure how you can have a hymn of praise to the Holy Mother, name the piece after it, and it NOT be perceived as religious...but as I didn't see it myself, I can't comment.

 

I won't be going to the Palladium, but will look forward to hearing from those who do.  

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1 hour ago, Sim said:

Hmmm....lots of stuff by Yuka Oishi.  A friend of mine recently saw Natalia Osipova in a piece of Oishi's called Ave Maria (in New York).  In the programme notes, Oishi said "Despite the music, this is not a religious piece".  However,  Osipova was in a long white dress, apparently doing choreography with religious connotations.  Not sure how you can have a hymn of praise to the Holy Mother, name the piece after it, and it NOT be perceived as religious...but as I didn't see it myself, I can't comment.

 

I wouldn't have remembered the choreographer's name, but Osipova performed Ave Maria at SW last year. I had the same reaction as you, Sim; and even if the piece wasn't intended to be religious, I would be unable to listen to such music and ignore the religious connotations/source. I'm also not sure why you would be inspired to use such music if you didn't want to reference its meaning. (The work wasn't great anyway, which sort of added insult to injury.) (I accept that it's possible to make a work that isn't specifically religious to religious music; but I don't think you can - or understand why you would - effectively disavow the music. e.g. MacMillan's Gloria, which isn't specifically religious but nevertheless reflects on the music in such a way that it produces a work of real profundity and illumination, in respect of both the specific themes of the work and the religious nature of the music.) 

 

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On 16/04/2019 at 12:38, bangorballetboy said:

Paradox and Sacré have both been choreographed by Japanese dancer and choreographer Yuka Oishi. 

Sacré is a piece of tanztheater set to Stravinsky’s iconic The Rite of Spring. It is a solo piece starring Sergei Polunin. Both Paradox and Sacré explore aspects of the life of famous dancer Vaslav Nijinsky in his 130th birthday year, with Sacré reinterpreting his infamous ballet Le Sacre du Printemps, originally created for Ballets Russes in 1913. The ballets are  inspired by Nijinsky’s demand for a “feeling, not thinking Human”, by master pieces of the Art Brut – the movement of the outsider art, by the essence of rebellion.

 

 

Yuka Oishi's "Sacré" will also be on the programm at Bavarian State Ballet in Munich for three performances in the triple bill "À Jour - Contemporary Choreographies".

 

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The official site of the London Palladium confirmed that there will be 2 different programmes on 28-30 May and 31 May-1 June.
The programme for 28-30 May will include three one-act ballets: Fraudulent Smile, Paradox,  and Sacré. 
On 31 May and 1 June, the programme will present the world premiere of Rasputin, alongside a final ballet which is yet to be announced. 
https://www.officialtheatre.com/london-palladium/sergei-polunin/

 

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On 16/04/2019 at 06:26, penelopesimpson said:

Would love to go but Verona inhigh summer _ and will Polunin turn up?

 

I am a bit nervous of posting this here as the general consensus seems to be negative re Sergei, but here goes.....

 

I think you’ll find this Romeo & Juliet is a Polunin-Kobborg classical collaboration commissioned by Sergei and is possibly the most exciting thing they are creating together.  The Arena di Verona is fabulous enough, as is Prokofiev’s R&J.  And then this is R&J in Verona the setting of Shakespeare's story, and, starring Alina Cojocaru too.  I think Sergei is the only principal dancer that is regularly commissioning works before age 30.  

 

The question about ‘not turning up’ applies only to the collaboration with Peter Schauffuss from the early days of leaving the RB, which he left, along with Igor Zelensky.  

 

He never once missed a performance while employed at the RB.  That’s a pretty big statement of commitment.  

 

There was the possibility of performing M&A at RB with Osipova in 2017.  Has anyone involved revealed why those performances didn’t go ahead?  I’d love to know. It wasn’t long after their personal relationship had broken up.  So that’s a possible explanation.  Or the RB’s own inflexibility. (Osipova herself suffered recently as had to let down Russian fans by not performing Don Q there because the RB wouldn’t release her - despite being booked months in advance.  Something odd going on KoH?).  Those are the only 2 occasions of Sergei not turning up, that I am aware of.  Happy to be corrected.

 

It would be good if the British could understand how a rigid classical company can (and did) limit the artistic development of those dancers who need more.  Have we noticed how the ballet world has opened up so much more in the last 10 years - many principals and soloists (and Corps de ballet for that matter) now perform elsewhere and get involved in other projects.  It’s a new world for dancers - partially prompted by Sergei’s own move - and so much richer artistically for all - dancers and audiences alike.

 

Since 2012, Sergei has had a brilliant classical career at the Stanislavsky and in Munich, increasingly alongside his own projects.  If you research his shows this year alone, you’ll discover a very hardworking artist performing day-after-day to sold-out audiences all over Europe, including Russia, Germany and Italy.  And that’s not to mention the many movies, interviews, modelling etc on top of his own foundation fund for young dancers (a la the Nureyev Foundation)

 

Londoners and Brits are at risk of missing something here.  I highly recommend you get yourselves to the London Palladium to both shows and also to Verona if you can, and to form your own opinions of the current Sergei.  He’ll be performing at the Gillian Lynne Tribute too, in between performances in Munich.

 

I hope you’ll be swayed.

 

 

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Ironically it sometimes seems that Polunin's career resembles Nureyev's, but in reverse geographically.  Stifled by the rigidity of a traditional institution,  to find more opportunities and personal fulfillment, the only option was to jump ship - somewhat spectacularly!

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Oh well.  

 

I doubt Sergei will be performing full-on classics much, if ever.  And why should he.  He was easily the best technically and dramatically at RB 10 years ago, and then for 5+ years at Stanislavsky in Moscow and later at Bavarian State Ballet.  Lots of brilliant even perfect YouTube clips of Giselle, Mayerling, Don Q, Coppelia, Rhapsody , etc etc.  What more is there to challenge him repeating those for the next 15 years?  So it’s on to other artistic challenges for him.

 

 I’m sure lots of ballet people feel he is wasting his classical ballet abilities, but it is his life to choose what he wishes to do with it.  And no doubt he has been down some wrongly chosen paths along the way.  He is a risk taker, which I admire

 

The Royal haven’t had anything to match Sergei in his classical prime. Vadim is a superb technical dancer, super reliable partner, very good comically and princely, but is no match dramatically.  He is still learning, and no doubt will improve.  Matthew Ball has the dramatic ability and princeliness, but he doesn’t have the same technical ability as either Vadim or Sergei.  The other RB principals are further limited.  It doesn’t mean that all of them can’t give fabulous performances though!  Campbell in Don Q, Hirano in The Winters Tale, Kish in The Concert, Ball & McRae in Mayerling, to name a few. 

 

 So it turns out that the complete package is a very rare thing indeed.

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2 hours ago, FionaE said:

 

 So it turns out that the complete package is a very rare thing indeed

Yes, I so love my dancers to have toxic  political views, with tattoos of ultra-right organisations. Yeah, complete package indeed...

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2 hours ago, FionaE said:

Oh well.  

 

I doubt Sergei will be performing full-on classics much, if ever.  And why should he.  He was easily the best technically and dramatically at RB 10 years ago, and then for 5+ years at Stanislavsky in Moscow and later at Bavarian State Ballet.  Lots of brilliant even perfect YouTube clips of Giselle, Mayerling, Don Q, Coppelia, Rhapsody , etc etc.  What more is there to challenge him repeating those for the next 15 years?  So it’s on to other artistic challenges for him.

 

 I’m sure lots of ballet people feel he is wasting his classical ballet abilities, but it is his life to choose what he wishes to do with it.  And no doubt he has been down some wrongly chosen paths along the way.  He is a risk taker, which I admire

 

What I saw him present at Sadler's Wells ?last year was artistically challenged, not an artistic challenge. Yes, taking risks is admirable; but every good dancer I see takes risks, at every performance, in order to perform up to the best level possible. Polunin clearly doesn't know his limitations, or his strengths - that's the biggest, and saddest, risk he's taken with his career. 

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I’m not saying Sergei is the complete package now.  I think sadly for us in the UK, he was the complete classical ballet package in his years in Moscow, and so we have missed out.

 

He is still finding his way with new contemporary and classical works.  Not everyone liked the post-balletic Baryshnikov either.

 

But it seems I am on my own in this group - you seem to be all dead set against him.  

 

I saw his Spartacus in Munich recently - the emotional charge from his performance is unlike anything I have ever experienced.  I am sorry for you who don’t see him that you will miss out.

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12 minutes ago, Vanartus said:

Putin?

 

Ah yes of course the Putin tattoo.  

 

As you know Putin is the president of Russia recently re-elected with 77% of the vote.  That’s many many millions of Russians that voted for Putin.  I know many in the West think negatively of Putin, but that is not how he is perceived by the majority of Russians.  

 

I bet there are many Americans with tattoos of Trump. Is that any different?  

 

How we would laugh though if anyone in UK had a tattoo of Farage!

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10 minutes ago, FionaE said:

I’m not saying Sergei is the complete package now.  I think sadly for us in the UK, he was the complete classical ballet package in his years in Moscow, and so we have missed out.

 

He is still finding his way with new contemporary and classical works.  Not everyone liked the post-balletic Baryshnikov either.

 

But it seems I am on my own in this group - you seem to be all dead set against him.  

 

I saw his Spartacus in Munich recently - the emotional charge from his performance is unlike anything I have ever experienced.  I am sorry for you who don’t see him that you will miss out.

 

I think he was pretty near the complete package when he was with the RB. He was the most exciting dancer I'd seen for many years. I'm not dead set against him at all; I just lament what could have been. (Of course I didn't see him in Moscow. But I have seen him in London in recent years.)

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8 hours ago, FionaE said:

I saw his Spartacus in Munich recently - the emotional charge from his performance is unlike anything I have ever experienced.  I am sorry for you who don’t see him that you will miss out.

 

Was that the performance where he forgot to come to the front and then a backdrop fell and he accidentally was behind it and not present for his scene, so he had to run into the wings and return from the side? All because he had decided to skip a rehearsal the day before? I think the complete package includes diligence, humility and a passion for your art, not for becoming famous.

Back to the yawning.

 

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Yes, lots, he is a complicated person without much adult mentoring ever.  Without Zelensky and Kobborg he would be completely off the rails in my opinion.

 

Plenty of people didn’t like Nureyev either for his actions.  And Nijinsky went completely mad.

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Well, Fiona, its kind of you to worry about us Brits missing out but, on balance, I think I'll cope with the potential loss.  I'd be less able to handle a dancer who didn't turn up when I'd braved the heat of Verona, or being forced to sit through something as downright awful as Sergei's Sadler's Wells debacle.   And how could I take seriously a dramatic dancer with someone-else's head drawn on his body?  Anyway, as he is 'performing to sold-out audiences all over Europe,' he won't miss us.

 

I no longer care enough about the artiste who used to be the hottest talent around to debate the issues you raise.  Like others, I gave this young man enough rope, expecting him to develop and mature rather than hang himself, but... As for RB being a straitjacket, well I don't think the producers of Cats would agree with you or the many international ballet companies who regularly have guest appearances from members of RB.  Currently, our national ballet company has some of the most talented and hard-working dancers in the world gracing its ranks.

 

Where you and I can agree is that Mr. Polunin has an absolute right to do what he pleases.  This week a tattoo artist, next week a model, budding film star (well, walk-on parts), advertiser/anti-gay ranter/political ingenue.  The difference is, I no longer care.

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What you say is true, that current RB dancers get lots of opportunities outside RB.  My point is that wasn’t the case (except in a very limited way - eg Adam Cooper as The Swan) before Sergei’s departure highlighted it.  Things have changed, and he was one of the catalysts for that change.

 

You really don’t know much about the current Sergei:

He has a starring role in a French movie coming out in September - currently in editing process.

He is already funding 4 children through dance school - name another 29 year old dancer doing that.

He has been appointed artist director of a new dance school in Russia.  Again name another 29 year old dancer doing that.  

 

The negativity and inaccuracy of the English press really does influence British people.  Such a shame. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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