559 replies to this topic

[Helene]

[Admin beanie on]

This is a sensitive issue and there is a criminal act and legal issue involved.   I want to reiterate Ballet Alert! policy:

• Only official news may be posted, and all must be sourced, unless it is posted by one of five Editorial Advisors (identified under their board names).
  
• Other message boards are not official sources

There are a number of people on the board who have insider knowledge and personal connections to members of the dance world.  We're not questioning credibility but managing through standard board policy.

[Admin beanie off]

A small homage to Mr. Filin on Marc Haegeman's Facebook Page "For Ballet Lovers Only":

https://www.facebook...162981420429554

[Mme. Hermine]

MOSCOW, January 18 (Itar-Tass) — Moscow police are searching for the attacker who splashed acid at Bolshoi Theatre Ballet Artistic Director Sergei Filin on Thursday night, the Moscow police press service told Itar-Tass.
The "02" telephone police service received a call at 23:20 on Thursday from Filin's relatives who said about the attack. According to the reports, an unknown person at a car parking near Building 9, Troitskaya Street in central Moscow splashed acid into Filin's face and escaped.
The Meshchansky district police department has launched an inquiry into the attack, a police source said.
Police are doing everything to find the attacker. Witnesses are questioned. Video recordings from the site will be examined.
Filin with burns on his face, head and eyes is hospitalized.

[Natalia]

Was traveling overnight and just logging in. This is shocking, even in the nasty reality of today's Russia. My prayers go out to this gentleman, that his vision be saved (especially). He is ALIVE, thank goodness.

I hope that the perpetrator(s) will be caught and receive maximum punishment. I pray that justice will prevail.

Edited to add:

Here's a bit more information about Filin's status and, via the BT's press rep, revelations on recent hacking Filin's Facebook page, with attempt to defame his character:
http://www.itar-tass...c32/624646.html

[Mashinka]

New York Times coverage is very interesting, particularly the comments by Ratmansky who faced difficulties himself when he was Bolshoi director:


http://www.nytimes.c...ss&emc=rss&_r=0


The mad fan theory may yet prove the correct one.

[Mme. Hermine]

The Voice of Russia is now reporting that he will be treated in Belgium, with the Bolshoi's Board of Trustees covering the  cost:

http://english.ruvr....ted-in-Belgium/

[kbarber]

From the Voice of Russia article:  "A team of investigators, criminologists and sinologists were working at the scene"
????
Sinologists? surely not. Sinologists are experts on China. What could they mean?

[Natalia]

The international cable TV broadcaster, Russia Today, ran a 10-minute piece on this story, including analysis from their arts editor. I will attach link if I see the 10-minute clip on the RT website; it aired on actual TV 30 mins ago. While no names were mentioned, footage of one very famous Bolshoi male dancer was shown in class, as the expert commented in general on threats made against Filin by dancers not being cast (again, the expert spoke in generalities and no names named...but the footage of one unnamed-but-famous male star was shown). I don't wish to name that dancer either because it was embarrassing just to show him at the barre.

Will post the news story if I find.  Should appear on rt.com.

Edited to add RT's printed story; no video yet but this is a start:
http://rt.com/news/b...cid-attack-255/

Quote from the above:
Bolshoi spokesperson Ekaterina Novikova said... “We never imagined that a war for roles – not for real estate or for oil – could reach this level of crime,” Novikova said to Channel One.

[Mashinka]

kbarber, on 18 January 2013 - 05:33 AM, said:

From the Voice of Russia article:  "A team of investigators, criminologists and sinologists were working at the scene"
????
Sinologists? surely not. Sinologists are experts on China. What could they mean?

A crack team of Russian orthodox priests trained to track down people that sin I think you'll find.

[Natalia]

Sudebna meditSINskih = forensic scientists

[Dale]

I do hope for a full recovery for Filin. I think this attack opens a window into the Claque culture surrounding the arts in Russia (at least at the major institutions in Moscow and St. Petersburg).

[Tara]

Catherine, on 17 January 2013 - 09:54 PM, said:

Third degree burns to the face, unless I'm mistaken, would mean permanent disfigurement. It's a rather personal attack, and a cowardly one.

Very personal, indeed. So personal that I feel it will most likely lead directly to the cowardly attacker sooner or later. I pray for sooner rather than later.

Huffington Post is now reporting the story as well.

http://www.huffingto..._n_2501175.html

[jose manuel]

it is really terrible!!!!! poor sergei filin!! I hope doctors save his sight.who could do something so terrible to him??

[jose manuel]

the news on spanish newspaper El País


http://cultura.elpai...039_141032.html

[ABT Fan]

This is truly unbelievable.  I had no idea things could get so.....crazy and disgusting over there.  Very interesting to read Ratmansky's comments in the NY Times article today.  Perhaps this is why he really left.

[Natalia]

AFP story with latest, including 'naming names' of people within the Bolshoi known to have ongoing disagreements to Filin.

http://nz.sports.yah...-085440748.html

As cited in the above report, Filin was interviewed by Russian TV shortly after undergoing initial surgery today. I saw this interview on Al Jazeera TV a few minutes ago. While I do not have a clip -- it may surface on YouTube soon -- I can say that SF was sitting, with an red sweater, this entire face wrapped in white bandages, except for openings for mouth and eyes, which (of course) seemed opaque. He described that he could see the eyes of the assailant, etc, etc.

The Al Jazeera report also included clips of the Bolshoi's GD, Iksanov, doing all but naming 'the monster' within the Bolshoi who contracted the acid throwing.  In other words, police are already focusing on a specific individual but, of course, will not name the name yet.

Among the dancers speaking in the Al Jazeera piece, all teary eyed, were Zakharova, Meskova and Tikhomirova.

Ironically, today (Jan 18) marks the 188th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theater.

p.s. - This France24 report mentions Filin's post-operation interview and even offers a few quotes:
http://www.france24....hit-acid-attack