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Polunin resigns from RB


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It's made the front page of tomorrow's Telegraph together with a pic. of Polunin.

 

If it is Mikhhailovsk dangling big bucks, then I hate him in the same way and for the same reason that I hate Rupert Murdoch - he snatches away everthing that's good once he realises that he can make yet more money from it.

 

I'm going to lie down in a darkened room now...

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Well, this evening has really gone downhill fast since I got in this evening! This is a real shock. In the half hour that it's taken me actually to get into and read this thread, I've been wondering, "but where would he go? Surely not the Mikhailovsky!" I guess we'll have to wait and see what he's going to do, but apart from anything else it's really going to throw the RB casting into chaos - he's cast in so much, including The Dream next week. Presumably the Sadler's Wells thing this weekend will be going ahead as announced.

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Thanks for putting up so quickly Jane!

 

I put up on the front page shortly after and this morning have added 3 pictures - he is such a powerful presence in all: http://www.ballet.co.uk/2012/01/sergei-polunin-leaving-royal-ballet-instantly

 

Some Tweets gone out or going out:

"A truly explosive performance" from a review of Polunin's graduation performance in Aug 2007 by reader Ian Macmillan: http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_07/aug07/im_rev_royal_ballet_school_0707.htm

 

Sergei Polunin - links to over 250 reviews that have mentioned him: http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews_database_search/db_search.cgi?dancer_names=Polunin

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More in today's papers, though I think they are largely re-hashing each other's guesses in a general display of knowing not a lot about what's going on:

 

Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/9037829/Sergei-Polunin-felt-constricted-at-Royal-Ballet.html

 

Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/jan/25/royal-ballet-sergei-polunin-quits

 

Over on Twitter, which others of you will follow more closely than myself, there appear to be hints about who knows what in the background and that this has perhaps been a long time coming. If so, and if it genuinely all blew open yesterday afternoon, I'd be a bit taken aback. Has he been taken on by an Agent, or is it all his own doing? And is there no Notice Period in a theatrical contract?

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<< it's really going to throw the RB casting into chaos - he's cast in so much>>,

 

 

I'l repeat here what I said on the old ballet.co last night:

 

Scarcely a surprise for such a raw talent.

 

I’ve seen Polunin dance everybody else off the stage (in Voluntaries and Symphony in C) and be wayward (Ballo della regina).

 

His debuts in classical roles have been uneven. His Solor was mightily impressive, his prince in Sleeping Beauty much less so.

 

In Alice’s Adventures, the choreography didn’t particularly utilise Polunin’s abilities – and he did not make much of an impression.

 

Clearly Polunin thinks he has big feet – I hope that he will find the big shoes that will fit him well.

 

His departure highlights again how few performance opportunities principals have at the RB. Their urge to perform is indulged with guest appearances elsewhere.

 

But one man’s departure creates opportunities for others.

 

I hope Johannes Stepanek gets his chance in Month in the Country.

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TV's Channel 4 has now chimed in with an article, "How hard is the life of a professional ballet dancer?"

 

http://www.channel4....l-ballet-dancer

 

as Polunin's departure "has once again raised the issue of the pressures faced by professional dancers, highlighted dramatically in Darren Aronofsky's 2010 film, Black Swan."

 

Oh dear! I'm beginning to think that maybe he was an a spy all along, that his cover has been blown, and Moscow Central has recalled him. No less likely than the Tattoo Parlour explanation?

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Incredibly the new arrived also in this desolate and depressed ballet area!!! http://www.repubblica.it/persone/2012/01/25/foto/sergei_polunin_abbandona_il_royal_ballet-28751315/1/ He became Sergei BOULIN: probaly here in Italy the press thinks that all the dancers must have a name starting with "BO", as an homage to "the greatest etoile of the world" :-(

Edited by annamicro
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Incredibly the new arrived also in this desolate and depressed ballet area!!! http://www.repubblic...let-28751315/1/ He became Sergei BOULIN: probaly here in Italy the press thinks that all the dancers must have a name starting with "BO", as an homage to "the greatest etoile of the world" :-(

 

Sorry to be so ignorant but I've been racking my brains and I can't think of the etoile whose name starts with "BO". Who is it please?

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There's a later article in the Guardian now with lots of quotes from Tamara Rojo, very strongly admiring and supportive of Polunin:

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/jan/25/royal-ballet-shocked-sergei-polunin?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

 

I have found his performances amongst the most rewarding I've seen at the Royal Ballet in many years and for me at least if he doesn't come back he will be a very great loss.

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another article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/9038573/Sergei-Polunin-the-ballet-cheek-of-it.html

 

I'm really annoyed by the way journalists are reporting short message from twitter and making conclusions...

And I'm surprised to find people here and there already happily thinking to replace a roaring Ferrari with honest and competent Toyotas. :-)

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I've been asking myself the same question.

As I'm sure quite a few of us have. In a "normal" business, key staff would likely be on 3 months' notice - I can't imagine it would be any less for a ballet company, in view of the scheduling problems a shorter term would cause. After all, the dancers who went to Japan back in the late 90s I think gave 3 months' notice - although I don't think Kumakawa did.

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I'm really annoyed by the way journalists are reporting short message from twitter and making conclusions...

 

So am I (and if I find another of Andy Murray's tweets quoted in the Australian Open coverage, I think I shall scream. It's lazy journalism, especially when the "quotee" is available for interview. But I digress ...). Basically, nobody really seems to know anything, so they're just grabbing at anything that will make a story, it seems to me. Loads of facts stitched together, irrespective of whether they make anything even vaguely watertight.

 

BTW, I had another read of the Evening Standard's article on the tube this evening, and got the impression that extra had been added. Whether there's any truth in that, again, is anybody's guess.

 

And Louise Levene in her piece makes quite a thing about all his dates being sold out. That, as far as I can recall from the winter booking programme (the rest not being publicly on sale yet), is 2 Romeo and Juliets and three The Dreams. I haven't found any R&Js that *aren't* sold out, irrespective of who's dancing them, and previous experience leads me to suspect that the presence of a certain Mr. Acosta in the other half of the double bill on all 3 occasions is probably a greater contributing factor to sales than Polunin's.

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So, more and more is being written (and recorded) on this subject, more hyperbole, more and more quotes, often taken out of context, more and more speculation, assumptions and the like, whether well-founded or not. I don't imagine any of this can be helping the situation one bit. I'm sure we shall have a better idea once the dust has settled a bit, but that may not be immediately. In the meantime, the dancers have got performances to rehearse for, and life has to go on, more or less as normal ...

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In the meantime, the dancers have got performances to rehearse for, and life has to go on, more or less as normal ...

 

As this saga has worn on, the thing that has rather got me simmering is Ivan Putrov on TV describing himself (and Polunin, of course) as 'artists,' in some way on a higher plane than other dancers who belong to companies, but who are simply 'craftsmen.' I fear that the dear chap may have, as they say, got somewhat up himself.

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previous experience leads me to suspect that the presence of a certain Mr. Acosta in the other half of the double bill on all 3 occasions is probably a greater contributing factor to sales than Polunin's.

 

If somebody want to see Acosta, there is plenty of tickets for the 5th of March. the only of Carlos' performances paired with The Dream second cast.

For sure the "insignificant" :D presence of Alina Cojocaru has not had any effect on the sales of the first cast with her and Polunin, but in any case The Dream seems to have played a great role at box office.

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