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Sergei Polunin has resigned from the Royal Ballet


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Well it certainly creates lots of nice job opportunities - anyone out there knows Ashton's Oberon and would like to do the revival first night next week? with Alina Cojocaru? Or Month in the Country, with Cojocaru, later on? Ballo della Regina, with Nunez? La Sylphide with Sarah Lamb? Alice, with a new solo specially written for you? Worldwide cinema relay of Romeo?

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We're hardly referring to Cojocaru or Lamb. (ha-ha)

Am I the only one who has noticed that Polunin is the 'heave-ho artist' lifting the "English Rose of Choice" in Live-in-Cinemas? Solymosi experienced similar duties in the ROH not so long ago, as did Matvienko and Ivanchenko at the Bolshoi. Nuff said.

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Wow, I find that unnecessarily vitriolic. If we are calling a dancer who could sit on my shoulder a heave-ho? I mean, I'm 5'1 (so yes, she's taller than me), but tiny, and...well. This is unnecessary.

From what I can gather, there are several reasons, including his own other ambitions. The speculation can be fun, but can also detract from the fact that: HE RESIGNED. And, interesting, he seems to have been planning this for a while, but apparently gave the company just a few hours' notice.

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Wow, I find that unnecessarily vitriolic.

I don't think that's the reason too. He was dancing with Cuthbertson also in galas.

As far as I know in the past he has been requested for guesting by some top companies, but his ambitions have always been frustrated: that could be a better reason.

Also the fact that the company is largely promoting British mediocre stuff and not its best talents can play a role. But who knows, maybe only Sergei.

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I don't know how many times male dancers have said that it's not the size of the ballerina, but how she holds herself and how much she helps to get into the lifts, and that some small, thin ballerinas are like lifting dead weight, because they don't help.

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I don't know how many times male dancers have said that it's not the size of the ballerina, but how she holds herself and how much she helps to get into the lifts, and that some small, thin ballerinas are like lifting dead weight, because they don't help.

in any case it has little sense to talk of that since none of the mentioned ladies is really heavy to lift. And the less light of Polunin partners has not been mentioned at all: in any case, it seems that they loved to dance together and I think they are/were also planning to dance together at Tokyo World Ballet Festival.

There are many more "reasonable" reasons for a young brilliant dancer to make such a decision than the weight of one or two of his partners...

And the focal point remains the complete disaster that this means for the Royal Ballet, at least from a non British perspective. I'm happy I've not bought the flights for some Polunin shows I was planning to see, now I have just to sell the already bought theatre tickets. Of course I'm not selling the tickets for Cojocau's Dream, but I was really looking forward this patnership and I'm now really worried for the change of cast. :-(

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I read an interview from him last summer about how he received an invite from ABT and was not allowed to go by the management at the Royal. I'd assume that type of stuff has something to do with it. He did have his pick of casting though this season, and honestly, while he is clearly a talented up and comer he's not at the level of many international male dancers. If he is to continue dancing he needs a lot of coaching at this time in his career and I hope he picks wisely.

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There's lots of news today in Links. It could be worse than Polunin being tired of ballet -- he's not injured or sick -- but I hope he does what he needs to do now and reconsiders a career in dance.

I remember seeing him a few years ago in "The Sleeping Beauty", and realizing that he was an incredible dancer just from his role as a fairy cavalier took about as much insight as hearing the young Pavarotti and realizing "He's good."

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Polunin will go to Japan as a member of "Alina Cojocaru Dream Project"

http://www.nbs.or.jp...-dream-project/

- Performers -

Alina Cojocaru (The Royal Ballet)

Lauren Cuthbertson (The Royal Ballet)

Daria Klementova (English National Ballet)-programme B only

Johan Kobborg (The Royal Ballet)

Roberta Marquez (The Royal Ballet)

Steven McRae (The Royal Ballet)

Vadim Muntagirov (English National Ballet)

Sergei Polunin (The Royal Ballet)

Alexandre Riabko (The Humburg Ballet)-programme B only

*in alphabetic order

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Great news for Polonin and, hopefully, UK ballet fans: from today's Links, Polunin has been issued a three-year work visa that is not tied to a specific country:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24037906-new-visa-means-ballet-star-can-dance-in-uk.do

According to the article, Sadler's Wells did the paperwork, and he can perform in Men in Motion at the theater. With Eagling resigned from ENO and budget cuts to Birmingham Royal Ballet, I don't see it likely that he'll join a UK company.

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I don't pretend to know all the reasons Alex Wong left MCB but Polunin's story sounds very similar - young man wanting to spread his wings in a more relaxed, less rarified atmosphere. I'm always aghast when someone wants to leave the classical ballet world since I love it so much as an audience member. But now that I see the wide range of experiences Alex Wong has made for himself, I understand where he may have been coming from. I hope young Mr. Polunin finds a path in life that will be rewarding for him. But more's the pity for we bunhead audience members.

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The articles seem to say very little about Royal Ballet and dirty washing, and a lot about a rather sad man (boy really, he comes across emotionally), who doesn't much like ballet. Reading these, I feel sorry for him, but I don't find him terribly sympathetic as a figure. He seems to not care much for the wonderful gift he has, or for the artform besides a joy in performing only, and occasionally in being the best in something.

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The articles seem to say very little about Royal Ballet and dirty washing, and http://www.bbc.co.uk...london-17250159who doesn't much like ballet. Reading these, I feel sorry for him, but I don't find him terribly sympathetic as a figure. He seems to not care much for the wonderful gift he has, or for the artform besides a joy in performing only, and occasionally in being the best in something.

The negative allusions are clearly indicated in the text both by himself and the authors.

When you state, "... and a lot about a rather sad man (boy really, he comes across emotionally)..."and "...but I don;t find him a teribly sympathetic as a figure." Why would you? To do so would mean that you know him well and the situations he has been in.

He has clearly found the Royal Ballet where he has had enormous success, not the home he expected, nor it would seem that he has been partnering the dancer(s) he would wish to partner. This has also been a feature of both his discomfort and according to the articles his displeasure. The comparison he makes clearly alludes to this. He is a real star of the

Royal Ballet as is Tamara Rojo.

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The articles seem to say very little about Royal Ballet and dirty washing, and http://www.bbc.co.uk...london-17250159who doesn't much like ballet. Reading these, I feel sorry for him, but I don't find him terribly sympathetic as a figure. He seems to not care much for the wonderful gift he has, or for the artform besides a joy in performing only, and occasionally in being the best in something.

The negative allusions are clearly indicated in the text both by himself and the authors.

"...but I don;t find him a teribly sympathetic as a figure." Why would you? To do so would mean that you know him well and the situations he has been in.

He has clearly found the Royal Ballet not the home he expected, nor it would seem that he has been partnering the dancer(s) he would wish to partner. Quite clearly this has been a feature of both his discomfort and his displeasure.

I think we read these interviews quite differently and also have a different conception about whether one can find someone sympathetic without knowing them. Perhaps an issue was also me trying to be nice. It might have been more accurate to say didn't find him very likable. if you would prefer.

When I read or watch interviews with celebrities I get impressions of their personalities, interests, and work ethics. I've found some performers I don't particularly like as performers, very likable, and felt that their personalities diminished my liking of others, though I try not to let it alter how I feel about them as artists.

i think you did have a much more sympathetic response to the interviews--seeing the problem as being the Royal.

However when he says he doesn't like female dancing, or think he should have to listen to female dancers when partnering them, says he finds rehearsing boring, and isn't interested in watching dance, I'm not sure what company could make him happy.

If he wants to be a dancer at all, he wants to be a celebrity dancer, not a company member, even one with the highest accolades. Or that is the impression he gave.

And then there is his idolizing of James Dean.

He just sounds (in these interviews) like a rebellious kid who has no appreciation for what he had. Literally a rebel without a cause.

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