84 replies to this topic

[anin]

Catherine, on 10 December 2012 - 04:43 PM, said:

Tsiskaridze lives/works full-time in Moscow so you're referring to a former apartment he likely stays in only when he goes north to Petersburg for short performances here and there? Yes Baryshnikov lived on Moika, a very chic and expensive area. Near the Hermitage.

Yes he did but in a one room apartment no maid included.

[Mashinka]

It didn't look like one room in the picture I saw and he referred to a maid.

[abatt]

Here is a reference in a Reuter's article to Gergiev's position concerning the open letter.

http://www.nytimes.c...y.html?ref=arts

Gergiev states, "There's nothing terrible happening in the Mariinsky - no way."

[cubanmiamiboy]

abatt, on 18 December 2012 - 01:06 PM, said:

Gergiev states, "There's nothing terrible happening in the Mariinsky - no way."

Other than the contorsionists...?

[Cygnet]

' "In a move to address concerns, however, he announced a plan to build 50 or more apartments to house performers: "They will be relatively cheap apartments, basically a gift to them from the company," he said. "But then they have to perform." '

.

O.M.G.!!!

[Birdsall]

I wonder why he seems obsessed with the housing issue, when they sound like they are wanting to open up dialogue about so many other things. Sad.

Pavlenko did a brave thing, but at the same time from my personal experience you are often protected by your own daring. Getting the news to pay attention to you when fighting the big people is very hard, but once you do get the press interested in what you have to say it is willing to do a follow up story, and top administrators are always scared of the press digging for more (because beyond your own issues there are many other horrendous things going on that could be uncovered) and anyone with the power to get press attention actually scares them. I stood up against a big boss in a large system and almost everyone who worked with me thought I was crazy, but once the press became interested in my story (I confronted the boss at her very first public speech and the press paid more attention to my issue than her speech) she left me alone because I also attended other public meetings and did not let the issue rest. The press was on my side. She called me by first name and shook my hand every time she saw me after all this. She hated my guts, but she respected me. In these instances it is quite amazing what happens. People you thought were your friends drop you like a hot potato and ONE person (if you are lucky) shows she is a very good and true friend. Being the person to stand up for yourself as well as other employees is a hard thing. People tell lies about you. Your own co-workers spread lies about you, and you are trying to help them. Administration tries to paint you as crazy. As I said, people who were your friends suddenly walk right by you without acknowledging you out of fear of getting in hot water with the big boss. It is an eye opening experience that I hope nobody has to go through, but at the same time you learn so much about human nature, so maybe everyone should experience it. I don't know. It is too painful though. I suspect some dancers are avoiding Pavlenko like the plague despite the fact she is fighting for them all. I hope I am wrong.

I personally had to go to counseling despite being viewed as winning the fight against administration. You become totally paranoid your every step is being watched, and I think the most hurtful part is the friends who suddenly no longer acknowledge you despite whispering in your ear before you became notorious that you are doing the right thing. But in the end they are not true friends. They scatter when the ocean gets choppy.

[diane]

Birdsall, that is quite something! I think you were indeed very courageous and strong to go through with that.


-d-

[Birdsall]

diane, on 20 December 2012 - 02:19 PM, said:

Birdsall, that is quite something! I think you were indeed very courageous and strong to go through with that.


-d-

Thanks, Diane! I did not mean to toot my own horn at all. I just wanted to give insight into what happens to people. I hope Pavlenko is not going through the same thing, although I suspect she is, since Gergiev already badmouthed her to the press in retaliation. She will have to be very strong, b/c it is a horrible situation to feel like your bosses consider you a trouble maker and because they do, some of your friends scatter. It still upsets me to even think about it, and I hope her experience is better.

[pherank]

Birdsall, on 20 December 2012 - 03:18 PM, said:

Thanks, Diane! I did not mean to toot my own horn at all. I just wanted to give insight into what happens to people. I hope Pavlenko is not going through the same thing, although I suspect she is, since Gergiev already badmouthed her to the press in retaliation. She will have to be very strong, b/c it is a horrible situation to feel like your bosses consider you a trouble maker and because they do, some of your friends scatter. It still upsets me to even think about it, and I hope her experience is better.

You should email her - seriously! And mention your own experiences with such things. It would be a nice gesture of solidarity.  ;)

http://www.daria-pav...shacontact1.htm

[Birdsall]

pherank, on 20 December 2012 - 04:18 PM, said:

Birdsall, on 20 December 2012 - 03:18 PM, said:

Thanks, Diane! I did not mean to toot my own horn at all. I just wanted to give insight into what happens to people. I hope Pavlenko is not going through the same thing, although I suspect she is, since Gergiev already badmouthed her to the press in retaliation. She will have to be very strong, b/c it is a horrible situation to feel like your bosses consider you a trouble maker and because they do, some of your friends scatter. It still upsets me to even think about it, and I hope her experience is better.

You should email her - seriously! And mention your own experiences with such things. It would be a nice gesture of solidarity.  ;)

http://www.daria-pav...shacontact1.htm

Okay, I just did using the link you provided. Not sure if she wants to be contacted by a complete stranger, but when you suggested that, it occurred to me that when I was really down (and yoga helped me a lot) any kind word really helped me during those bad days. So maybe it was a good suggestion you made. I told her she was brave and that it is great she is fighting for her fellow dancers and told her a little about my experience and hoped she would not have the same experience.

Editing to say that I tried both email addresses on her site and both came back undeliverable. Too bad.

[pherank]

Birdsall, on 20 December 2012 - 04:56 PM, said:

Editing to say that I tried both email addresses on her site and both came back undeliverable. Too bad.

Well that's a shame, but it was good of you to try.

Any public (or semi-public) figure posting their email address online has to be certain of receiving some emails from strangers.  ;)
It's a public website. But I can believe that Pavlenko has received more than her share of emails lately! So perhaps the service was turned off for that reason.

[Catherine]

Birdsall, on 20 December 2012 - 03:18 PM, said:

I hope Pavlenko is not going through the same thing, although I suspect she is, since Gergiev already badmouthed her to the press in retaliation. She will have to be very strong, b/c it is a horrible situation to feel like your bosses consider you a trouble maker and because they do, some of your friends scatter. It still upsets me to even think about it, and I hope her experience is better.

I bet my bottom dollar and then some, that she is.

There was more in the press today about the issue. Sadly it's getting worse not better. No reply from the Minister/Ministry of Culture (and the Dec 20 previously-hinted-at-deadline has now passed)

http://www.rosbalt.r...20/1073777.html

and now Gergiev has claimed that the problem is solved.

In fact, 65 out of 299 total dancers voted on the issue of salary (option 1: monthly fixed salary; option2: base salary of $300 plus per-performance pay each month). Of them, 51 of the 65 voted for option 2.  The article rightfully points out that 65 votes out of almost 300 is far from a majority and far less than half of the artists ...

Translation of one of the paragraphs:
Подробнее:http://www.rosbalt.r...20/1073777.html

On Dec. 17th in London, [Gergiev] told journalists that the Mariinsky theatre's ballet troupe resolved the internal conflict themselves several days after voting against changes in the administration's politics. "There was no conflict. I met with the representatives of the ballet troupe and asked them to solve it among themselves. They just a few days ago by overwhelming majority voted not to change anything,"  the director of the theatre said.

If ever there was a game of word twisting, I think this takes the cake.

[puppytreats]

Instead of standard operating procedure (such as badmouthing, as you say, and discrediting, or worse, someone addressing a legitimate concern), why not address a problem and make things better for all involved? This really hurts all involved, and causes unnecessary pain.   A satisfied workforce would benefit all, including Gergiev.  How can he not see this?

[Birdsall]

Very sad. I assume the ones who did not vote were too scared to vote. People think their responses (what they voted for) will get back to administration even if that isn't always the case.

[canbelto]

Seems to me these attitudes are a holdover of the old Party days, when artists who played by the rules were awarded all sorts of prizes, lavish apartments, cars, chauffeurs, touring rights, travel permits, and whatever else they might have desired. The people who didn't play by the rules were harassed by the KGB, sent to regional companies, denied travel or touring permits, and generally treated miserably.