Lilian88

A beautiful performance, I felt very sorry for the little fall of Zakharova, who still doesn't have a negative impact on her excellent performance, thankfully. Polunin remarkable as ever in that role

I was fortunate enough to have a ticket to the show on Thursday. It was wonderful, I'm happy to say that Polunin responds to criticism with facts: I never see a German audience so enthusiastic. At the end of the show, Polunin was called on stage I think five times, the audience would not stop applauding.

Well, also all my non ballet lovers friends know Nureyev, but they know Polunin too, in fact he is the only classic dancer of our days who they know and remember. The fact that you quote Nureyev is interesting, because for me Nureyev perfectly summarizes all the reasons why Polunin will be remembered: Nureyev was fiercely criticized and often shunned by critics and ballet lovers of his era, but eventually all remember Nureyev , few remember many of his colleagues and no one remembers who criticized him. So it was for many other artists and so it will be for him, but he is only thirty, and we cannot compare him to Nureyev, now... I believe that Polunin will be remembered for much more than twenty years, while on the contrary in twenty years no one will remember most of his colleagues and their career as loyal employees, apart from some ballettomane and I would think this even though I hated him because his success is a fact, not a personal opinion: is a fact that he is the youngest principal of the Royal Ballet's history, a fact that he has played some of the most coveted roles of ballet, a fact that there is a documentary about his life, a fact that he has worked with renowned photographers and artist and even more concrete, are the results of these collaborations, which have been included in famous magazines, books, art exhibitions around the world, even museum exhibitions. Not to mention the virtual world: we can be so naive to ignore the direction taken by the concept of communication today, but from an entirely pragmatic point of view, it's a fact that in Internet, a song, an image, a video can be endlessy played and replicated, so he could really retire tomorrow and would have done enough to remain virtually the young and talented dancer / model / actor who is now, forever. (Yes, maybe we'll be dust, but our Pinterest boards will still be there to shock our grandchildren that under the innocent title "Ballet and dancers", discover a disproportionate number of photos of this half-naked tattooed guy and what meant their granny when she talks about her roaring years of ballet). In any case, say that a career of Nutcracker at Christmas and Swan Lake with perhaps a jump in the contemporary dance and a charity gala toward the end, is a successful life while the thirty years of Polunin are a failure, is arrogant and basically ignores the history of any art from...I don't know, from the creation to the present. Of course I not to say that you said this, I speak in general...

Two short video-interviews with Sergei Polunin after the premiere of Dancer in London. I found particularly nice his words about the importance of dance

Polunin's reasoning is really simple: if a dancer is happy and satisfied to live and work as an employee of a big company, good, but if a dancer wants to manage, independently, his life, his career and his creativity, well, there is life outside the big companies and he can do it or if a dancer wants to have more say in decisions affecting his career, or want to be more protected, he has the right to ask for it, without risking repercussions. I really don't understand what's so wrong, offensive or immature in this. When I try to explain the "Polunin-scandal" to people who are complete strangers to the world of ballet, they simply don't understand. I told them the story and they asked me "Ok, but what's the scandal?" and this is because we are not in the Middle Ages, and The Royal Ballet should be an institution, a point of reference, not a sect!

Well said! Art is art, and artists aren't employers. If all the artists had followed certain reasoning, today we wouldn't have some of the most beautiful expressions of art in every sphere. And, I hope to not offend anyone, but I find that there is a certain hypocrisy, perhaps unconsciously, in judging Polunin: if in the same conditions, he had fled to the Royal Ballet from Russia, for example, do you think honestly that the press would treat him in the same way? I think no.

Totally agree with you! The contexts change, but people always say almost the same thing, after having heard so much about this mythologycal bad boy, they are dumbfounded when instead faced with this guy so shy, polite and kind. Not only he doesn't reflect in any way the common image of a bad boy, but even of international star ... For example, the first time I met him in person, there were two old ladies who, choosing a very unsuitable moment to tell the truth, wanted each other to click a photo with him, but were unable to use their digital camera. I have observed the scene from a distance, he lost five minutes to explain them how to do it, then another five minutes because the ladies had to find the right pose, then he had to explain them how to see the pictures and how to turn off the camera; in the end, he gallantly helped them to go down a step, listened their recommendations and also taken a pinch on the cheek from both the ladies ( ???? ), all with a smile and with a kindness and a patience that I probably wouldn't have even with my grandmother. From that moment all my previous impression were confirmed and I had no more doubts about the stupidity of the nickname "bad boy". Indeed the reactions of the elderly are the ones I find most interesting (and fun): often they arrive muttering against tattoos and his hot-head and after seeing him dance and met him at the stage door, they leave the theater talking about him like a beloved grandchild. I find it a perfect metaphor to describe Polunin

Not so odd, this kind of "article" is made specifically to arouse the usual low-level gossip that is so pleasing to the media. After all, this is much easier and profitable to work as serious journalists! Leaving aside this nonsense, I am very curious and interested about the collaboration between Polunin and Vladimir Vasiliev for Project Polunin; I know that Polunin has always had a deep admiration for him and that Vasiliev has been one of his models during his training and I find it's always nice when the old generation meet the new, especially at such a high level!

Well, too bad for them, for the people who come literally from all over the globe to see Polunin dancing change little or nothing; choose Münich or any other city instead of London, it's just a click on booking.com

Definitely more interesting for me! Well, the Royal must hurry or will risk being overshadowed by the Bayersiche Staatsballet! ???? ;PI cannot wait to see Polunin dance Mayerling, those who saw him in Moscow speaks of it as something really exceptional as much as Marguerite and Armand with Tamara Rojo and watching the videos, it's easy to understand why!

Sorry but it seems to me the same old story, the ballerina who arrived at a certain point in her career, and experimented new ways in contemporary dance, ways, however, that rarely are really new; as Cat said, not all can be Sylvie Guilleme. The pieces were "commissioned" by her, while Polunin who has already known and appreciated Maliphant for example, has always said that classical dance is his own language also appreciating the expressive possibilities of contemporary dance; then personally I have no doubt about who did what just to support the partner. I'm sorry to sound bad, but it seemed to me from the beginning the pretentious attempt of a ballerina, in my very humble opinion, too pampered by the public, although she has never done anything but Natalia Osipova on stage regardless the role, the ballet , the plot ... The demonstration that a big name on the bill doesn't make a great show, while a great artist on the stage is great also without his name on the bill.

Well, this is the topic of the news about Sergei Polunin, with whom he dances, it should only be an additional information, I suppose; then if there is also a topic Polunin - Osipova, I guess it's normal that some information are repeated...

As reported in the article by Robert Dex, Evening Standard 15/4/016, Sergei Polunin will appear as hologram in Symphony to a Lost Generation, "a new show by the composer Adam Donen, which uses holograms to create the illusion of a full stage performance" with Natalia Osipova; "they play a pair of lovers doomed by the approach of the First World War. Donen said he wanted to "create a work making use of the world's finest musical performers which could be seen, heard and experienced everywhere". http://www.symphonytoalostgeneration.com/#!book-now/a7dgu I am very curious about it!

In Italian we have an expression, something like "don't wash your dirty laundry in public"; It never liked me. True, there is a lot of media exposure, but it's also true that in these cases the alternative is often cover up the affair, so if dancers are tired of having to suffer in silence decisions made by others that impact on their lives, their art and professionalism and they seek the support of the public, I totally agree with them. After all we are talking about artists, not puppets! Yes, the risk is to exaggerate, especially when you are emotionally involved and you are not able to evaluate things with the right coldness; it would certainly help the advice of a professional figure, but in this field is an almost unexplored territory...

In my opinion, the problem continues to remain the way the general menager acted: if for him this public adjustment was so important, why he couldn't simply release a brief statement where he explained the situation? It's possible that his first thought was to change the website instead of sitting at a table with all the parties involved (JK but also the corps de ballet, for example) and have them properly informed? I find absurd that so often the artists have so little relevance in theaters decisions, considering that without them the theaters would be only very big and luxurious conference rooms!

Yep! I cannot wait to know when Dancer will be release!

There is no official statement, so it's just a guess.

I'm happy for the solidarity that Kobborg is receiving, I hope it's a consolation for him!

I agree with you! Although I find that these problems are specific to the world of ballet and theater in general, though perhaps in some places in less dramatic ways than others...

A short article about it : http://slippedisc.com/2016/04/just-in-bucharest-erases-ballet-chief/ It's really very sad, I find absurd especially the way...

Some news about "Dancer": http://variety.com/2016/film/global/westend-ballet-documentary-dancer-1201743660/

Yes, probably is a too strong expression, my English is not very good and I try using too idiomatic expressions, I'm sorry, I want to say that when Polunin left the Royal Ballet, journalists have created a media event. Also I didn't say that all the dancers are slaves, but they certainly are not the category of artists currently more protected; Margot Fonteyn was Margot Fonteyn, he was a nineteen year alone, foreigner, without support nor knowledge; Zelensky has the great merit to support him from a human point of view before professional and I just loved the fact that he hasn't taken advantage of his position for exploited the name of a so famous pupil. Also as a fan I can absolutely understand the disappointment, but I wouldn't call a whim to have left the Royal Ballet for example, it was a very difficult choice for him, he had devoted his whole life to achieving that goal, but the inner discomfort and depression are not controllable things, are personal choices that we cannot really discuss because none of us was there in his shoes at that time; yes it's true, you buy a ticket and you expect certain things, but ballet is a "living art", isn't a finished product, if you know what I mean, the only way not to run certain risks would be robots-artists but at that point I don't think it would be more worthwhile. The things that make special an artist are often the same things that make him fail and make mistakes, it's the human factor... And statistically speaking, it's rare that the most brilliant artists were balanced, rational people with a stable life and a linear path and even rarer in their youth. About theaters, well I'm never very tender with them, too often they lay all the responsibility on the artists after having sold tickets using their name (not only for ballet) not to mention interests, inner politic, power plays, jealousy, envy ... In short there are many things to evaluate in this context, because hardly an artist, no matter how famous, has an advantageous position in relation to a big theater, especially as outsiders and I don't think I said anything so unimaginable or new...Besides, I've always preferred a brilliant artist though unpredictable and "problematic" compared to an entire team of perfect and reliable employees, but of course this is just my personal opinion! ????

I love Nureyev, but he was well known for his bad and arrogant temper and another dancer reported him for beating; there are dancers who have deleted entire seasons with no other explanation that a vague mention of "injuries", Polunin has cancelled some performances in a bad time of his life, he has openly admitted it, and apologized for this; then if there is someone who has never made missteps in his life or had bad times, well cast the first stone. I'm much more inclined to consider his good qualities as a person and his incredible artistic talent, which until now have never failed.