Tango Dancer Posted July 10, 2022 Share Posted July 10, 2022 I was checking my local theatre for the autumn / winter season to plan my viewing. Apparently the Nerubashenko ballet is performing Swan Lake and Nutcracker in January. I've never heard of them and Google isn't showing me much. Anyone heard of this company and know whether they're any good? We usually get Moscow City so I was wondering if it's the same company renaming itself or a different company? I find Moscow city a bit indifferent and variable in the standard of performance so if it's the same company I might not bother despite the fact I love Swan Lake. Does anyone know more than I do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted July 10, 2022 Share Posted July 10, 2022 I’m guessing it might be Moscow City ballet renamed, as you suggest. Ludmila Nerubasheko is named on the Moscow City ballet site as their Artistic Director: https://moscowcityballet.com/directors/ So it could be that in the current political situation they are going under another name. No concrete evidence of that, though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddieRose Posted July 10, 2022 Share Posted July 10, 2022 I've done a search in Russian, and every relevant result for Nerubashenko Ballet leads back to the Moscow City Ballet (granted most were from a few years ago). So unless they are a very new company set up by Lyudmila Nerubashenko I think they are the same thing. Perhaps it is a new name because Nerubashenko is from Odessa? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Dancer Posted July 10, 2022 Author Share Posted July 10, 2022 51 minutes ago, MaddieRose said: I've done a search in Russian, and every relevant result for Nerubashenko Ballet leads back to the Moscow City Ballet (granted most were from a few years ago). So unless they are a very new company set up by Lyudmila Nerubashenko I think they are the same thing. Perhaps it is a new name because Nerubashenko is from Odessa? Thanks for searching in Russian @MaddieRose, I appreciate your looking into it. If it's the same company I probably won't bother as their last performance was a bit mediocre and unimaginative. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted July 10, 2022 Share Posted July 10, 2022 Sounds like it’s 95% Moscow City Ballet under a different name, but just wondering.....if they are, how are they getting out of the country to fly to the U.K. perform? Or are they moving operations to a new base in Hungary/Estonia/Kazakhstan so that they can fly overseas? (I haven’t got up to date news on which countries are opening/closing borders with Russia so these examples might be obsolete by the time some forum members read it.) A rather cheeky aside here, but if it’s the dates in January at Richmond theatre that I’ve seen advertised on the Internet, I recommend staying on the Tube for several more stops to the London Coliseum to catch English National Ballet in those ballets in December and January instead - they do child discounts, multibuy discounts for booking both shows.....you could end up with cheaper tickets even though ENB’s are full scale productions with a full orchestra accompaniment from one of the top ballet companies in the world. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Dancer Posted July 10, 2022 Author Share Posted July 10, 2022 18 minutes ago, Emeralds said: A rather cheeky aside here, but if it’s the dates in January at Richmond theatre that I’ve seen advertised on the Internet, I recommend staying on the Tube for several more stops to the London Coliseum to catch English National Ballet in those ballets in December and January instead - they do child discounts, multibuy discounts for booking both shows.....you could end up with cheaper tickets even though ENB’s are full scale productions with a full orchestra accompaniment from one of the top ballet companies in the world. It is those dates. I live near Richmond so I always like to go to a few things at the theatre because it's lovely and they have some interesting things on (not mainly dance). I go to thinks in central London (Sadlers Wells and RB mostly) as well but sometimes it's nice going to something local so I don't have a long commute back after. I agree the ENB is a much better company but I like supporting locally hosted things as well. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 Just picked up the brochure from Richmond the other day. It says, among other things: "This season the Smirnov-Golovanov productions will be presented by international artistes hand-picked by Ukrainian-born Ludmila Nerubashenko." Make of that what you will. Was S-G linked to Moscow City Ballet or one of the other touring Russian companies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 Victor Smirnov-Golovanov was the founder and Artistic Director of Moscow City Ballet: https://bolshoimoscow.com/?person=235&page=catalog He died in 2013 but his legacy is preserved by his widow Ludmila Nerubashenko: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/nerubashenko-ballet-presents-swan-lake/regent-theatre/ 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tania Z Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 On 10/07/2022 at 13:54, Balletfanp said: I’m guessing it might be Moscow City ballet renamed, as you suggest. Ludmila Nerubasheko is named on the Moscow City ballet site as their Artistic Director: https://moscowcityballet.com/directors/ So it could be that in the current political situation they are going under another name. No concrete evidence of that, though. You are right, because what their country is doing to Ukraine, bombing and shelling civilians every day, russians nowadays are not welcomed in civilised world. So Nerubashenko ballet quickly rebranded themselves by concealing all links to russia. The majority of russian population is in support of war, so let them stay inside their country and not enjoy the freedom and make money. Unfortunately some people are indifferent or they just been mislead, so they buy tickets by which they indirectly support the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 If there wouldn't be theatres/event organisations willing to present these companies, then there wouldn't be performances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Sounds to me like these companies didn’t necessarily have strictly Russian connections before … they just used Russian names ‘Moscow City Ballet’, ‘Russian State Ballet of Siberia’, etc for marketing purposes. Though I’m aware that some of their dancers were Russian in the past. So now they have rebranded and are making the most of other connections they have … Ukrainian, Georgian, … Varna, Odessa. The dancers in the troupes were always a mixed bunch and hired for the tours only. In many ways these companies are no different to Vienna Festival Ballet which was London based, toured smaller theatres in the UK, had dancers from all over and had nothing to do with Vienna itself. Except that the Director came from there. As I mentioned elsewhere, the Varna International Ballet that I saw last night in Bristol seem to have previously been, organisationally at least, The Russian State Ballet of Siberia (RSBS) . However the directors were always Varna based. The cast list had no obvious Russian names and some of the cast have been members of RSBS as well as of Varna Ballet Company itself. I do think we need to be careful to jump to conclusions. Or to ostracise these companies for prior Russian connections. All ballet has prior Russian connections. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 (edited) 17 hours ago, Tania Z said: You are right, because what their country is doing to Ukraine, bombing and shelling civilians every day, russians nowadays are not welcomed in civilised world. So Nerubashenko ballet quickly rebranded themselves by concealing all links to russia. The majority of russian population is in support of war, so let them stay inside their country and not enjoy the freedom and make money. Unfortunately some people are indifferent or they just been mislead, so they buy tickets by which they indirectly support the war. Can you provide evidence that monies raised from these tours is going to Russia? If the directors are based in Odessa (Ukraine), Varna (Bulgaria) and Georgia as they say, it will be unlikely, plus financial sanctions will make it difficult to transfer funds. Perhaps questions should be raised with the tour promoters… Raymond Gubbay etc .., who will be pocketing the profits. Edited January 8, 2023 by FionaE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tania Z Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 22 minutes ago, FionaE said: Can you provide evidence that monies raised from these tours is going to Russia? If the directors are based in Odessa (Ukraine), Varna (Bulgaria) and Georgia as they say, it will be unlikely, plus financial sanctions will make it difficult to transfer funds. Perhaps questions should be raised with the tour promoters… Raymond Gubbay etc. Fiona, yes you are absolutely right, the main question is to their promoters / organisers. That's what we are currently trying to find out. Ms Nerubashenko lived in Moscow for decades, and mysteriously started promoting her Ukrainian background after February 2022, just wiping out previous russian links. Hmm let me guess why... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 2 hours ago, Tania Z said: Fiona, yes you are absolutely right, the main question is to their promoters / organisers. That's what we are currently trying to find out. Ms Nerubashenko lived in Moscow for decades, and mysteriously started promoting her Ukrainian background after February 2022, just wiping out previous russian links. Hmm let me guess why... Your criticism of Ms Nerubashenko highlights the core issue of the problem in this war… that many people in both Ukraine and Russia share a joint heritage. As lovers of art we should be above this division that you are proposing. We should be supporting other artists whatever their origins to help bring peace to all. We should not be supporting the creation of further divisions amongst ourselves. (The Ukrainian conductor of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra said precisely this earlier this year). I am very aware of the anti-Russian activists currently trying to remove any Russian artists from Western theatres … opera, dance, classical music, etc are all being attacked. I abhor the menacing messages and even violence being proposed. In this the activists are no better morally, than the violence on the battlefield. And I warn them now that this action of inciting hatred will turn Westerners against Ukrainians before long. Best to stop now and direct your efforts to politicians to find a peace plan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tania Z Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 14 minutes ago, FionaE said: Your criticism of Ms Nerubashenko highlights the core issue of the problem in this war… that many people in both Ukraine and Russia share a joint heritage. As lovers of art we should be above this division that you are proposing. We should be supporting other artists whatever their origins to help bring peace to all. We should not be supporting the creation of further divisions amongst ourselves. (The Ukrainian conductor of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra said precisely this earlier this year). I am very aware of the anti-Russian activists currently trying to remove any Russian artists from Western theatres … opera, dance, classical music, etc are all being attacked. I abhor the menacing messages and even violence being proposed. In this the activists are no better morally, than the violence on the battlefield. And I warn them now that this action of inciting hatred will turn Westerners against Ukrainians before long. Best to stop now and direct your efforts to politicians to find a peace plan. I am not proposing violence as you mentioned in your comment, just seen this topic and voiced my opinion. I can, can't I? Sergey Polunin for example, very talented russian ballet dancer - he has 3 portraits of putin on his chest. That pretty clear message on what side he is. Everyone makes their moral choice whether to attend russians shows or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 35 minutes ago, FionaE said: And I warn them now that this action of inciting hatred will turn Westerners against Ukrainians before long. Best to stop now and direct your efforts to politicians to find a peace plan. Because? Most people don't care enough about the arts to even notice the alleged hatred. As for peace.....there could be peace tomorrow. All Putin has to do is withdraw his troops. He made a major miscalculation and will sacrifice as many lives as he has to - Russian and Ukranian - to save face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 This thread has been locked pending discussion by the moderators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletcoForum Moderators Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Hi everyone. Whilst we all have feelings of anger and pain regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, may we PLEASE once again remind all members that this is a forum for the discussion of ballet and dance (performance, history, dancers, etc.), not politics or world events. There are plenty of other fora for those discussions. People can, as individuals, do research and then make informed choices as to which companies or artists they go to see. It is not for any of us to judge them, even if we disagree with them. Furthermore, the general public is not in a position to know what every artist (Russian or otherwise) thinks about their government's actions. Supposition and speculation is not fair on them. There are many reasons why people can't/don't speak out. We will leave this thread locked as we think it has now run its course, but once again, let's please stick to discussion of ballet and dance. Thank you for your co-operation. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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