HappyTurk Posted May 30, 2019 Share Posted May 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Anna C said: Perhaps we could get back on topic? Ha, I don't even know what the topic is about anymore. 😂 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 Heartfelt thanks to the supportive commentators here and in my personal messages. Without those I wouldn’t be bothering to write. I don’t think many on this forum HAVE ANY IDEA what Sergei is achieving with his current dance programmes. You do have to change yourself and your perceptions, before you can be open to understanding what he is doing. If you are looking for the pure classical ballet of his years at RB or Stanislavsky then you will not get that. Don’t come expecting it. It’s dance based on ballet technique. As an aside, are you aware of his many years of classical ballet brilliance at the Stanislavsky? From what I read on here I doubt it. IMO many of those performances were far more perfect than his younger days at RB. I recommend you watch the many clips on YouTube of him in Don Q, Coppelia, Giselle, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, La Bayadere at the Stanislavsky or guesting with the Bolshoi and La Scala. Back to this week at the Palladium. You’ll be pleased to hear it was another near full house, and, standing ovation tonight (Thursday). I’ve noticed principals and dancers from ENB and RB attendees at the shows I’ve seen so far. NO ONE ELSE gives the audience the emotional experience that he can and does. He is also an incredibly hardworking dancer - 6 performances in 5 consecutive days where he is carrying the entire show. And this format has been repeated in Prague, Moscow and elsewhere. Even principals in your usual classical ballets (can’t?) don’t do that. It’s my view that he may well be the misunderstood mentally fragile case aka Nijinsky or Yuri Soloviev of our times. (Google Soloviev if you haven’t heard of him). In which case I want to make sure that I see and experience everything he does before he implodes. And if not, then I look forward to many years of fascinating performances feeding my soul, making me think and marvel. He does have a very supportive group of friends and colleagues around him now. He is commissioning very interesting works with all sorts of creative people. I am hopeful for his future. He is a wonderfully caring man for any woman - you can see how he supports his dancing partners with a lightness of touch. Use slow motion - you’ll see. And oh my word he expresses himself through THE most beautiful hand movements ever in dance. You can choose to believe he is homophobic from some of his Instagram comments. If so, you haven’t read them properly. He was talking about male and female energy, and used Elton John as an example of male energy on stage. There are earlier comments he has made which were supportive of LGBT people and which some have chosen to ignore. Just one question to consider - if he were truly homophobic how could he have collaborated on projects with gay people and have gay friends. It is not morally ok to label someone immoral just because you have different beliefs, or don’t like tattoos, or their choice of tattoos. Many young people in the UK now have tattoos. It’s a fashion. And they are often chosen to provoke - it’s the ‘up yours’ culture. I don’t even notice the tattoos when he dances (in Sacre he wears a jacket and a T-shirt so there’s not much to see). I’m focused on the artistry, the emotion, the use of the body and of course the technique. He fills the stage and auditorium with his portrayal. It’s unexplainable. You either get it or you don’t. Oh, and his technique is still fabulous - the jumps, the turns, the soft landings, the perfect 5th positions - and oh the height of the jumps. It’s the combination of ALL these things that make him so wonderful to experience. So excited for the Rasputin premiere tomorrow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 6 hours ago, FionaE said: Heartfelt thanks to the supportive commentators here and in my personal messages. Without those I wouldn’t be bothering to write. I don’t think many on this forum HAVE ANY IDEA what Sergei is achieving with his current dance programmes. You do have to change yourself and your perceptions, before you can be open to understanding what he is doing. If you are looking for the pure classical ballet of his years at RB or Stanislavsky then you will not get that. Don’t come expecting it. It’s dance based on ballet technique. As an aside, are you aware of his many years of classical ballet brilliance at the Stanislavsky? From what I read on here I doubt it. IMO many of those performances were far more perfect than his younger days at RB. I recommend you watch the many clips on YouTube of him in Don Q, Coppelia, Giselle, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, La Bayadere at the Stanislavsky or guesting with the Bolshoi and La Scala. Back to this week at the Palladium. You’ll be pleased to hear it was another near full house, and, standing ovation tonight (Thursday). I’ve noticed principals and dancers from ENB and RB attendees at the shows I’ve seen so far. NO ONE ELSE gives the audience the emotional experience that he can and does. He is also an incredibly hardworking dancer - 6 performances in 5 consecutive days where he is carrying the entire show. And this format has been repeated in Prague, Moscow and elsewhere. Even principals in your usual classical ballets (can’t?) don’t do that. It’s my view that he may well be the misunderstood mentally fragile case aka Nijinsky or Yuri Soloviev of our times. (Google Soloviev if you haven’t heard of him). In which case I want to make sure that I see and experience everything he does before he implodes. And if not, then I look forward to many years of fascinating performances feeding my soul, making me think and marvel. He does have a very supportive group of friends and colleagues around him now. He is commissioning very interesting works with all sorts of creative people. I am hopeful for his future. He is a wonderfully caring man for any woman - you can see how he supports his dancing partners with a lightness of touch. Use slow motion - you’ll see. And oh my word he expresses himself through THE most beautiful hand movements ever in dance. You can choose to believe he is homophobic from some of his Instagram comments. If so, you haven’t read them properly. He was talking about male and female energy, and used Elton John as an example of male energy on stage. There are earlier comments he has made which were supportive of LGBT people and which some have chosen to ignore. Just one question to consider - if he were truly homophobic how could he have collaborated on projects with gay people and have gay friends. It is not morally ok to label someone immoral just because you have different beliefs, or don’t like tattoos, or their choice of tattoos. Many young people in the UK now have tattoos. It’s a fashion. And they are often chosen to provoke - it’s the ‘up yours’ culture. I don’t even notice the tattoos when he dances (in Sacre he wears a jacket and a T-shirt so there’s not much to see). I’m focused on the artistry, the emotion, the use of the body and of course the technique. He fills the stage and auditorium with his portrayal. It’s unexplainable. You either get it or you don’t. Oh, and his technique is still fabulous - the jumps, the turns, the soft landings, the perfect 5th positions - and oh the height of the jumps. It’s the combination of ALL these things that make him so wonderful to experience. So excited for the Rasputin premiere tomorrow. I think the majority of people who post on here regularly are very well aware of Sergei's many years at the Stanislavsky. Like myself, I expect many ballet/ dance fans followed him with interest (and the hope that he would achieve success and find contentment) when he left the RB. That interest was only lost through disappointing experiences of watching him as his technique deteriorated. I could not describe much I saw in the Stanislavsky years as classical ballet brilliance. As for not having any idea what he is achieving with his current dance programmes, and needing to change oneself and ones perceptions to enjoy him, all I can say is that the last programme I saw in which he was involved was naive, excruciatingly boring, and poorly danced. There are plenty of other dancers who give the audience an emotional experience. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletcoForum Moderators Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 A post has been hidden for possible breach of the AUP while it is being considered by Moderators. A number of responding posts have also been hidden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 Well, hitherto I have focused on Polunin’s dire dance offerings, more concerned with the artiste than the man. But it is hard to let Fiona’s latest pass. We are back to nothing ever being Sergei’s fault. If you condemned his homophobia this was, apparently, nothing to do with the fact that he had broadcast his feelings, but simply because ‘you hadn’t read it properly.’ Quite how one can misunderstand his offensive outburst is a mystery but perhaps to be a fan you have to suspend belief and dwell in never-never land. Similarly, if you agreed with the one-star reviews from dance critics, it’s because you don’t get it. i prefer to live in the real world and I’ve never been good with hero worship so I’ll give up on Polunin. In any case, I carry too much weight and he might slap me. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 4 minutes ago, penelopesimpson said: In any case, I carry too much weight and he might slap me. Again you misunderstand him - it was a metaphorical slap reflecting his concern that so many people are overweight. I know I am (!) and have been encouraged to exercise by his comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletcoForum Moderators Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 This thread has been locked because it has become counter-productive and repetitive. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 (edited) Probably not intentionally funny, but the Sunday Times magazine has an interview with Polunin. Badly researched, it is mainly psycho babble and the same old bad boy theme regurgitated. He is now a father with a Russian figure skater (who sounds similarly weird) and, guess what, he is on a mission to build an alternative system that exists outside of the establishment. The interviewer presses him for detail, but ‘he just has all these ideas.’ Hmm. Hard to believe he’s only thirty. I have seen him dance just three times, yet his noise seems to have been around forever. Edited March 22, 2020 by penelopesimpson 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 I was clearing a load of stuff out yesterday (to prepare for WFH) and I happened upon 2 ROH booklets - you know those lovely 1/4ly ones they used to do and Polunin was on the front and inside cover - he was in his black Rudolph costume and I had both copies signed by him. I don't think her ever actually danced Rudolph at ROH in the end did he? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 On 22/03/2020 at 14:53, penelopesimpson said: Probably not intentionally funny, but the Sunday Times magazine has an interview with Polunin. Badly researched, it is mainly psycho babble and the same old bad boy theme regurgitated. He is now a father with a Russian figure skater (who sounds similarly weird) and, guess what, he is on a mission to build an alternative system that exists outside of the establishment. The interviewer presses him for detail, but ‘he just has all these ideas.’ Hmm. Hard to believe he’s only thirty. I have seen him dance just three times, yet his noise seems to have been around forever. What made me laugh is that the person credited with hair and makeup is called Eddy Munster... 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 On 22/03/2020 at 17:34, Don Q Fan said: I was clearing a load of stuff out yesterday (to prepare for WFH) and I happened upon 2 ROH booklets - you know those lovely 1/4ly ones they used to do and Polunin was on the front and inside cover - he was in his black Rudolph costume and I had both copies signed by him. I don't think her ever actually danced Rudolph at ROH in the end did he? No Sergei Polunin did not dance Mayerling at RB. Nor Romeo. His debut in Romeo was in Verona in August 2019. Mayerling debut was in Russia at the Stanislavsky Theatre in March 2013 https://theartsdesk.com/dance/theartsdesk-moscow-sergei-polunin-triumphs-mayerling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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