Sergei Polunin - current dance and other projects

[annamicro]

13 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

 It says that Sergei has sustained an achilles injury - which sound serious - but I think that the 2023 refers to him returning to the Arcimboldi Theatre rather than to the stage more generally.

 

I read it differently in Italian: it's a generic statement, not referring to the specific theatre. I wish him the best for his personal health and I hope you are right.

At the moment, anyway, I don't see how his extremely evident politic sympathy can fit with Milan Mayor (and Italian government) policy when it comes to Putin supporters. Gergiev was fired by La Scala for his "ambiguity" and he has not Putin face engraved on his heart.

Edited March 13, 2022 by annamicro

[simonbfisher]

1 minute ago, annamicro said:

Gergiev was fired by La Scala for his "ambiguity" and he has not Putin face engraved on his heart.

... as far as we know.

[annamicro]

51 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

 It says that Sergei has sustained an achilles injury - which sound serious - but I think that the 2023 refers to him returning to the Arcimboldi Theatre rather than to the stage more generally.

Unfortunately I was right: an article on Corriere della Sera confirms he is having surgery in Dubai and that he will not have commitment until January.

I attach a link to a "referral site that is not under a paywall as Corriere is. What is missing from the original text is that Arcimboldi is planning a gala in support of Ukraine on the 7th of April, that seems a much more appropriate event than the previously planned ones.

 

https://gamegurus.it/il-ballerino-sergei-polunin-ucraino-e-con-un-tatuaggio-di-putin-annulla-lo-spettacolo-rasputin-a-milano-corriere-it/

 

[FionaM]

I can access the full original article here

https://www.corriere.it/spettacoli/22_marzo_13/ballerino-sergei-polunin-ucraino-filoputinian0-cancella-rasputin-33081f7e-a2aa-11ec-9cf0-42c4e5b7cf94.shtml

[FionaM]

I would hope that the promoters, theatres and/or PoluninInk company have injury insurance to reimburse ticket holders.  It’s an obvious risk when the show relies on one performer.  

[Guest oncnp]

Sergei Polunin cancels Milan show. Reason? Injured Achilles. (gramilano.com)

[AnticaFiamma]

According to his IG Polunin got two more Putin tattoos, I think it's safe to say he won't be dancing a lot in Europe in the foreseeable future

[Ian Macmillan]

Have you checked the link in today's list?  All is revealed.

[TSR101]

6 hours ago, AnticaFiamma said:

According to his IG Polunin got two more Putin tattoos, I think it's safe to say he won't be dancing a lot in Europe in the foreseeable future

 

Unfortunately, I suspect this won't be the case and he will be welcomed back - at least to Italy, Germany, and some of Eastern Europe. There has already been a weakening of the previous rejection of Russian ballet companies/stars linked to the Russian state performing in Europe. 

[Lizbie1]

2 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

Have you checked the link in today's list?  All is revealed.

 

Yowzers!

[Vanartus]

34 minutes ago, TSR101 said:

 

Unfortunately, I suspect this won't be the case and he will be welcomed back - at least to Italy, Germany, and some of Eastern Europe. There has already been a weakening of the previous rejection of Russian ballet companies/stars linked to the Russian state performing in Europe. 

I’d be very surprised if Germany welcomed him back. Zelensky at BSB was his only ally, and he’s gone! 

[FionaM]

15 hours ago, AnticaFiamma said:

According to his IG Polunin got two more Putin tattoos, I think it's safe to say he won't be dancing a lot in Europe in the foreseeable future

I think the sequence of events is the other way around …

 

US/EU performances and other projects have already been cancelled, or shelved by sanctions.  Imagine the multitude of calls from theatres, promoters, sponsors, friends, collaborators all advising him one way, or the other, after 24/2.  
 

My ‘armchair analyst’ read is that these very recent additional tattoos are his reaction to being cancelled by ‘the West’, and a way of lessening his internal pain.  They also tell the world that it’s primarily Russia supporting him now and vice versa.

I hope his instinct for survival is strong …  as the negativity that continues to be thrown at him would drive most to a sad end.  (I do acknowledge he has fuelled this negativity with his own public reactions … controversial tattoos and statements.)

 

However, misinformation about him continues.  For instance, I still see people saying he lives in Miami 🤷🏼‍♀️.  I believe he has no home either owned or rented at the moment.  He and his fiancée and two young children have been living in Moscow with her family since returning from Dubai, where he had surgery and rehab and where his youngest son Dar (meaning ‘gift’) was born earlier this year.  None of this is difficult to ‘know’ if you follow his and his fiancée’s social media.  
 

Obviously income disappeared after 24/2 and his subsequent injury.  Financial sanctions on Russian banks must have had an impact on access to finance whilst in Dubai too.  
 

There is good news.   He is nearly fully recovered from Achilles surgery (there was a photo of his scarred ankle/lower calf), and he recently performed at a gala in Tauric Chersonesos alongside Zakharova, Ryzhkova, Krysanova, Obratsova Chudin, Lantratov, Shklyarov and others, plus the young pupils of the Sevastopol Academy.  
 

His next performance that I know of is in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in September.  (And if another person tells me ‘that is in Russia’ … I think I shall scream at their ignorance.)
 

There are a number of other projects and performances upcoming, mostly in Russia.  We await his wedding too.  Elena and Sergei were officially engaged whilst in Dubai. 
 

Life continues for all of us, despite the ‘world war’ situation we find ourselves in.  He has as little influence on his government's decisions, as I do on mine.  
 

I’m happy to answer any reasonable questions on my ‘specialist’ subject.  I cannot answer for his reasoning or thinking, as I do not know him personally.

 

Oh, and one more thing I noticed … the original Putin tattoo, Kolovrat (often mistaken as a swastika) and others on his torso are substantially faded … so he was doing as he promised in the summer of 2020 and many subsequent public interviews, to have them all removed.  It takes YEARS of painful monthly laser sessions for the densest inks to fade.  They never entirely fade.  I do not know whether he is continuing with removal sessions now. 

[zxDaveM]

21 minutes ago, FionaE said:

It takes YEARS of painful monthly laser sessions for the densest inks to fade.  They never entirely fade.  I do not know whether he is continuing with removal sessions now. 

 

he must be removing the ink from one to create the other two

Russian companies may be slowly being re-accepted again, but not sure someone with triple bogeyman putin tattoos will find many open arms awaiting him. Frankly, shame on those that do

[Jan McNulty]

An interesting read courtesy of Graham Watts highlighting it on twitter:

 

https://athenaeumreview.org/essay/giving-up-on-sergei-polunin/

[FionaM]

21 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

An interesting read courtesy of Graham Watts highlighting it on twitter:

 

https://athenaeumreview.org/essay/giving-up-on-sergei-polunin/

this is a VERY old article written years before the pandemic (probably in 2018).  I read it then.  

Edited August 14, 2022 by FionaE
Add date

[Guest oncnp]

11 minutes ago, FionaE said:

this is a VERY old article written years before the pandemic (probably in 2018).  I read it then.  

 

Does that make it any less valid? (one person's opinion, etc). 

[FionaM]

There are many inaccuracies in this article … I shall highlight one set as an example.  
 

The Novosibirsk Ballet is not ‘small’ … it has 120 dancers and is currently headed by Leonid Sarafanov.  The theatre and stage are impressive and actually bigger than the main Bolshoi stage. It regularly has guests from Bolshoi in lead roles (ballet and opera).  Ballet stars like Lantratov, Alexandria, Vasiliev, Rodkin.  
 

Sergei performed in Novosibirsk as well at the Stanislavsky in Moscow from 2012 to 2016.  Both theatres were run by Igor Zelensky.  

[FionaM]

1 minute ago, oncnp said:

 

Does that make it any less valid? (one person's opinion, etc). 

Of course not.  Graham’s post gave the impression it was current.

[Jan McNulty]

51 minutes ago, FionaE said:

this is a VERY old article written years before the pandemic (probably in 2018).  I read it then.  

 

But still a valid point of view.

 

38 minutes ago, FionaE said:

There are many inaccuracies in this article … I shall highlight one set as an example.  
 

The Novosibirsk Ballet is not ‘small’ … it has 120 dancers and is currently headed by Leonid Sarafanov.  The theatre and stage are impressive and actually bigger than the main Bolshoi stage. It regularly has guests from Bolshoi in lead roles (ballet and opera).  Ballet stars like Lantratov, Alexandria, Vasiliev, Rodkin.  
 

Sergei performed in Novosibirsk as well at the Stanislavsky in Moscow from 2012 to 2016.  Both theatres were run by Igor Zelensky.  

 

I took it that she meant small as in not as well known as the St Petersburg and Moscow companies.

 

I think Zelensky has cooked his own goose in relation to "the west".

[FionaM]

 

@Jan McNulty agree on all 3 points, though the author of this article used the word ‘small’ to be deliberately demeaning. 

Edited August 14, 2022 by FionaE

[Jan McNulty]

17 minutes ago, FionaE said:

 

@Jan McNulty agree on all 3 points, though the author of this article used the word ‘small’ to be deliberately demeaning. 

 

She told you this?

 

Although why I am even bothering to discuss the individual who is the subject of the opinion piece is beyond me.  I can only assume the hot weather is frying my brain.

[Guest oncnp]

2 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

Russian companies may be slowly being re-accepted again, but not sure someone with triple bogeyman putin tattoos will find many open arms awaiting him. Frankly, shame on those that do

 

Completely agree but what a business opportunity. His fans are rabid and would probably pay whatever price was asked to see him. 

[zxDaveM]

38 minutes ago, oncnp said:

 

Completely agree but what a business opportunity. His fans are rabid and would probably pay whatever price was asked to see him. 

 

more fool them then

[TSR101]

3 hours ago, FionaE said:

I think the sequence of events is the other way around …

 

US/EU performances and other projects have already been cancelled, or shelved by sanctions.  Imagine the multitude of calls from theatres, promoters, sponsors, friends, collaborators all advising him one way, or the other, after 24/2.  
 

My ‘armchair analyst’ read is that these very recent additional tattoos are his reaction to being cancelled by ‘the West’, and a way of lessening his internal pain.  They also tell the world that it’s primarily Russia supporting him now and vice versa.

I hope his instinct for survival is strong …  as the negativity that continues to be thrown at him would drive most to a sad end.  (I do acknowledge he has fuelled this negativity with his own public reactions … controversial tattoos and statements.)

 

However, misinformation about him continues.  For instance, I still see people saying he lives in Miami 🤷🏼‍♀️.  I believe he has no home either owned or rented at the moment.  He and his fiancée and two young children have been living in Moscow with her family since returning from Dubai, where he had surgery and rehab and where his youngest son Dar (meaning ‘gift’) was born earlier this year.  None of this is difficult to ‘know’ if you follow his and his fiancée’s social media.  
 

Obviously income disappeared after 24/2 and his subsequent injury.  Financial sanctions on Russian banks must have had an impact on access to finance whilst in Dubai too.  
 

There is good news.   He is nearly fully recovered from Achilles surgery (there was a photo of his scarred ankle/lower calf), and he recently performed at a gala in Tauric Chersonesos alongside Zakharova, Ryzhkova, Krysanova, Obratsova Chudin, Lantratov, Shklyarov and others, plus the young pupils of the Sevastopol Academy.  
 

His next performance that I know of is in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in September.  (And if another person tells me ‘that is in Russia’ … I think I shall scream at their ignorance.)
 

There are a number of other projects and performances upcoming, mostly in Russia.  We await his wedding too.  Elena and Sergei were officially engaged whilst in Dubai. 
 

Life continues for all of us, despite the ‘world war’ situation we find ourselves in.  He has as little influence on his government's decisions, as I do on mine.  
 

I’m happy to answer any reasonable questions on my ‘specialist’ subject.  I cannot answer for his reasoning or thinking, as I do not know him personally.

 

Oh, and one more thing I noticed … the original Putin tattoo, Kolovrat (often mistaken as a swastika) and others on his torso are substantially faded … so he was doing as he promised in the summer of 2020 and many subsequent public interviews, to have them all removed.  It takes YEARS of painful monthly laser sessions for the densest inks to fade.  They never entirely fade.  I do not know whether he is continuing with removal sessions now. 

 

I must say I really struggled to stomach this apologism. To me, your 'armchair read' is devoid of any sense of perspective of whether the defences you have proposed are in anyway reasonable. 

Let's be really clear here, Putin has invaded a peaceful neighbour, perpetrated war crimes on a mass scale, has threatened other peaceful states with military action and through proxies has threatened the West with nuclear armageddon. To know this and to then get more Putin tattoos is repugnant - he doesn't need to get them, other ardent Russian nationalists have not, yet he chose to do it. Where is the sense of perspective in your comments considering that? Does your appreciation of his ballet abilities (even if you think he's the greatest ballet dancer to have ever lived) really trump the act of him openly supporting a mass murdering psychopath who's activities are still ongoing at this very moment? Ukrainians are literally dying right now, as you read this, because of the actions of the man he has tattooed on his chest. That he has almost recovered from his achilles injury is the good news you wanted to convey? Many from the city he was born in will be rotting in ground having fought in the defence of their country. 

I have generally tried to given Polunin the benefit of the doubt, after all dancing ability does not equate to intelligence - I went to the RAH Romeo and Juliet and I thought it was pretty good, he seemed too be maturing, he talked about getting rid of his silly tattoos - but there has to be a line, and I think for many people its when you openly back a tyrant with the evidence of his horrific war crimes open for all to see. 

[Silver Capricorn]

2 hours ago, TSR101 said:

 

I must say I really struggled to stomach this apologism. To me, your 'armchair read' is devoid of any sense of perspective of whether the defences you have proposed are in anyway reasonable. 

Let's be really clear here, Putin has invaded a peaceful neighbour, perpetrated war crimes on a mass scale, has threatened other peaceful states with military action and through proxies has threatened the West with nuclear armageddon. To know this and to then get more Putin tattoos is repugnant - he doesn't need to get them, other ardent Russian nationalists have not, yet he chose to do it. Where is the sense of perspective in your comments considering that? Does your appreciation of his ballet abilities (even if you think he's the greatest ballet dancer to have ever lived) really trump the act of him openly supporting a mass murdering psychopath who's activities are still ongoing at this very moment? Ukrainians are literally dying right now, as you read this, because of the actions of the man he has tattooed on his chest. That he has almost recovered from his achilles injury is the good news you wanted to convey? Many from the city he was born in will be rotting in ground having fought in the defence of their country. 

I have generally tried to given Polunin the benefit of the doubt, after all dancing ability does not equate to intelligence - I went to the RAH Romeo and Juliet and I thought it was pretty good, he seemed too be maturing, he talked about getting rid of his silly tattoos - but there has to be a line, and I think for many people its when you openly back a tyrant with the evidence of his horrific war crimes open for all to see. 

I absolutely agree!

[DVDfan]

The author of the article is describing her experiences as a teenage fan. Though inevitably her explanation of her disillusionment is critical of Sergei, it is herself she is writing about, not him.

By all means point out factual errors, but these do not invalidate what she says about her own feelings.

[DoctorDerry]

So agree with TSR. You may be a superstar dancer yet a wretched human being

[li tai po]

I see that Sergei Polunin has posted a new video on you tube, entitled Beware All Hallows Eve.  He is bare chested and prominently flaunting his Putin tattoos.

 

He does seem to be addicted to publicity and controversy.

 

 

[FionaM]

12 hours ago, li tai po said:

I see that Sergei Polunin has posted a new video on you tube, entitled Beware All Hallows Eve.  He is bare chested and prominently flaunting his Putin tattoos.

 

He does seem to be addicted to publicity and controversy.

 

 

This video is NOT made by Sergei or his management team.  
 

It is a video made by a fan in USA who has never met him.  She has a considerable archive of his life.  In this video she has used footage from prior performances available online from official sources (I think in Italy and Israel in 2019).  
 

This is the ballet ‘Fraudulent Smile’ choreographed by Ross Freddie Ray McCaw.  He is RB school trained and won the Ursula Moreton choreographic award whilst there for an earlier version of this ballet.  A solo from it was revised for Giorgio Garrett’s participation in the ENB Emerging Dancer Competition.  After that, Sergei commissioned Ross to produce the ballet for its first performance in Milan in December 2018.    

[FionaM]

I have deliberately not posted any news of Sergei or his dance projects here since the war escalation by Putin on 24.2.2022. 
 

He is (or has been) a supporter of Putin, but is not a supporter of war.  I don’t know how he deals with those two conflicting ideas.

If you are interested to know what dance projects he has on the go, now that he has recovered from his Achilles surgery in March, you can follow the Facebook group ‘Sergei Polunin Universe’ by clicking here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1063962027811229/?ref=share_group_link

 

@BalletcoForum Moderators you may wish to close this thread after this.  I don’t believe any worthwhile discussion can happen here.