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Press Release: Sergei Polunin returns to Sadler's Wells with Project Polunin - March 2017


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Sergei Polunin

Project Polunin
Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 March
Performances: Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday at 2.30pm
Tickets: £12  £60
Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com


Without question, the most naturally gifted male ballet dancer of his generation” The Observer


Internationally acclaimed dancer Sergei Polunin returns to the Sadler’s Wells stage with Project PoluninTuesday 14 – Saturday 18 March. Drawing together world-class artists for this new production, Project Polunin aims to challenge perceptions of dance through live performance, and act as a catalyst for a new generation to explore what the future may hold.


Ukrainian ballet prodigy Sergei Polunin trained at the Kiev Choreographic State School and The Royal Ballet School before joining The Royal Ballet, where he rapidly rose through the ranks, becoming their youngest principal ever.

Project Polunin is a triple bill of classical and modern pieces. The programme at Sadler’s Wells will include the UK premiere of Vladimir Vasiliev’s Icarus and Tea or Coffee, a company piece choreographed by Andrey Kaydanovskiy. The programme will also feature the world premiere of Echo and Narcissus, a piece co-created by Polunin in collaboration with composer Ilan Eshkeri and photographer and artist David LaChapelle. Polunin previously collaborated with LaChapelle, performing in his interpretation of Hozier’s ‘Take Me to Church’. Eshkeri wrote the music for Polunin’s biographical film Dancer.

Founded by Polunin in 2015, Project Polunin aims to create new dance and ballet works through the collaboration of dancers with contemporary artists, musicians and choreographers for both stage and film. Based in London, the ongoing project will foster the creation of new works in conjunction with other artists from film, music, and other arts, and provide continuous support for dancers and choreographers.

Produced by the Polunin Partnership in association with Sadler's Wells



LISTINGS INFORMATION

Sergei Polunin 
Project Polunin
Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 March
Performances: Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday at 2.30pm
Tickets: £12 – £60
Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com


NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT SADLER’S WELLS
Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance house, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding, the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap.
Since 2005, it has helped to bring over 100 new dance works to the stage and its award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour internationally. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 Associate Artists, three Resident Companies, an Associate Company and three International Associate Companies. It also nurtures the next generation of talent through 
research and development, running the National Youth Dance Company and a range of programmes including Wild Card, New Wave Associates, Open Art Surgery and Summer University.
Located in Islington, north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells.
Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England. 


DANCER
DANCER will be released in UK and Ireland cinemas on 10th March 2017Directed by Academy Award® nominated Steve Cantor, DANCER offers a uniquely personal portrait of a most singular man and dancer. Blessed with astonishing power and poise, Sergei Polunin took the dance world by storm and became the Royal Ballet’s youngest ever principal. At the peak of his success, aged 21, he walked away, driven to the brink of self-destruction by stardom - his talent more a burden than a gift.
From archive footage of Polunin training at the age of 4 to be an Olympic gymnast, to intimate material shot by both his parents, and in-depth interviews with family, friends, colleagues through to footage of Sergei’s life on and off the stage now, we witness every step of his journey.
DANCER is an unprecedented look into the life of a complex young man who has made ballet go viral.

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I have just been reading the press release about this on the 'dance information' area.

 

The PR doesn't mention who the other dancers (assuming there will be other dancers!) are.  Does anyone know?  Maybe Osipova?  I have tried to find a website for Polunin but can't.  Surely he must have a website?!  I've googled twice with no success....

 

If anyone has any information on this, or has heard what the programme may be like, I'm sure many of us would love to know.  

Thanks!

 

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Polunin does not have his own website. However, his fans write quite a lot about him in their live journals and face books.  Here is an instagram showing his project at Sadler's Wells. There are familiar names there:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOzrvQVAoty/

 

Oh, Sim, I was surprised why this topic is in the "Performances seen & general discussions" and then noticed that Janet had already opened the same topic in the "News and Information", with the official Press release: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/14312-press-release-sergei-polunin-returns-to-sadlers-wells-with-project-polunin-march-2017/

Edited by Amelia
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Oh, Sim, I was surprised why this topic is in the "Performances seen & general discussions" and then noticed that Janet had already opened the same topic in the "News and Information", with the official Press release: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/14312-press-release-sergei-polunin-returns-to-sadlers-wells-with-project-polunin-march-2017/

It can still be moved :D

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Dare I say that the involvement of Valentino Zuchetti and Nehemiah Kish on the creative side probably indicates that they will likely be dancing as well? 

 

Not necessarily.  I guess it will depend on fitness, among other things.

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Without question, the most naturally gifted male ballet dancer of his generation” The Observer

 

Indeed he was.... circa 2010

 

As Grigorovich once said: “A talent is like money - either you have it or you don’t have it.”

I am sure that Sergei’s talent has not disappeared but remains with him. My worry for him is that he seems to be a very restless soul. He throws himself into other directions while the dancer’s precious short time-clock is ticking. Remembering the Parable of the talents I wish Sergei not to bury his own outstanding gifts as a dancer.

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I have just bought a ticket for the Friday.  I have seen him dance many times at the RB when he was at his super best, so I hope, as Amelia says, that he will still show us his best here.  He can definitely still be one of the best, if not THE best, around.....if he wants to!

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I know this is slightly off topic, but I'd be really interested to hear people's reasoning for the 'Polunin slump' theory. I've heard so many people say before that when he was at the RB he was at his best, and that he is going to struggle to be that good again (which I mostly agree with). Now, I never saw him live when he was at the RB (personal financial reasons barred me from going to see very much live ballet before 2015). I've only got DVDs from that period with him in (2 + the 2013 Marguerite and Armand to be exact), so I know I'm not as expert in determining his abilities.

 

I think that from a British balletgoers point of view, everything that he did in between 2012 and 2016 would mostly only be available through the venue of YouTube rather than through live performance, because of his lack of interest in English ballet. So if we assume that live performance is the epitome of a dancer's performing ability (which obviously is quite an assumption) then can we fully interpret his abilities in the present day (particularly in classical ballet, which made up a large portion of his RB repertoire, if I recall correctly) without regularly travelling to Russia to watch him perform? 

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His personality just is not matched to company life. Many of the dancers any company has had just aren't, but that is Ballet. I always thought Jonathan Cope wasn't but then he took his time out and now he is a teacher he describes that as far more fulfilling...whI chose says it all about what the issue was. To be good at companies you work you need to be good at being a work horse and bending to the good of the company. He is not and many are not and they too didn't last long. He may have done better in anothe art/sport...more individualistic one.

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As Grigorovich once said: “A talent is like money - either you have it or you don’t have it.”

I am sure that Sergei’s talent has not disappeared but remains with him. My worry for him is that he seems to be a very restless soul. He throws himself into other directions while the dancer’s precious short time-clock is ticking. Remembering the Parable of the talents I wish Sergei not to bury his own outstanding gifts as a dancer.

 

 

 

An interesting quote, but it obviously based upon an 'in the moment' description, money is of course something that can be easily lost, as the other most famous quote says ' a fool and his money are easily parted'

 

After seeing Polunin in Giselle in Munich with Polina, also watching the movie 'Dancer', I feel sad that Polunin did not have any authority figure in his personal life to give him limits on his behaviour. I think reputation and talent in the ballet world go very much in tandem, After suffering from his weak excuses for cancelling Sleeping Beauty at La Scala whilst announcing his Bolshoi live screening, I think his reputation and talent are all spent.

 

Many cancellations, and a forever promised return to ROH that has not materialised...' a fool and his money (talent) are easily parted'

Edited by SwissBalletFan
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I feel sad that we can not see Sergei often in classical ballets - the field where he excelled and delighted so many. 

Quote:

“… forever promised return to ROH that has not materialised.”

The materialisation of this promise might not depend solely on him but on those who make decision on guest dancers. So we shouldn’t add more unconfirmed items to the existing list of his ‘sins’.

 

The film “Dancer” lifted the veil on what Sergei went through as a child and a youth, parted with his family for so long, then seeing it fallen apart and blaming himself for their sacrifices.  However, in spite of this open display in the film of his inner struggles and pain I am inclined to discuss only his art and not what he lacks in his personal life. It is his pain.

 

I am glad that for his new project Sergei is reviving Vasiliev’s “Icarus”, which I have seen danced by Yuri Vladimirov in early 1970s. Looking very much forward to the 14th of March and wishing Sergei, Natasha and the whole team a great success.

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