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Bolshoi's controversial Nureyev ballet opens – to ovations and bans


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On 12/14/2017 at 1:13 AM, mnacenani said:

Bolshoy's repertory info for "Nureyev" :

https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/1025/

Thanks for the article link. I love this paragraph:

"Overall, this operatically unfolding scenario could only occur in Russia. Such a bold and experimental enterprise, coupled with such extraordinarily poorly managed implementation, would be inconceivable at the Royal Ballet. (I don’t think we can compare Serebrennikov with, say, Wayne McGregor – Javier de Frutos, perhaps.) The defiant subject, the historical nest of worms, the daredevilry of the commissioning by the country’s flagship ballet company, the inept cancellations and interferings by state, church and theatre board, the arrest of the creator, the atmosphere of fevered social conflicts – there is a truly heroic incoherence to all the elements."

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I like it too, as an example of assuming a posture of moral superiority when reporting about affairs of some primitive natives. Why not just to limit oneself to reporting the facts? Unfortunately, the actual facts in the article are thin, no more than what any one of us could find in the internet. The article contains no indication that its author saw the premiere, this was however obfuscated by a catchy title that misled the OP into believing the article to be a review of "Nureev", but it isn't. In light of this, the following phrase

 

"I don’t think we can compare Serebrennikov with, say, Wayne McGregor – Javier de Frutos, perhaps".

 

that appears in the text suddenly and without a proper context, sounds rather puzzling. What is the intention of the author? To indicate that Serebrennikov, unlike McGregor, hasn'got much talent? Why should we even think of comparing Serebrennikov to McGregor? Or even to Javier de Frutos? If I am not mistaken, Serebrennikov is not a former dancer, is not a choreographer and, unlike McGregor, twisting limbs of dancers in the most deviant way never formed a part his job description.

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On 12/16/2017 at 9:11 AM, Helene said:

That hasn't been my experience of her writing.  And unless they've changed the title, I don't see anywhere the artsdesk article purports to be a review. It reads like a news article under the "reviews, news, & interviews" section.

That's essentially how I took it - socio-political commentary. The opening paragraph suggests that Brown wasn't actually there in person for the premiere: "'Members of the creative team took the curtain calls at the great colonnaded theatre by the Kremlin wearing T-shirts with the face of Kirill Serebrennikov on them, while spectators chanted “Kirill! Kirill!”, according to news reports.'" According to news reports.

I though it was interesting that a synopsis of the ballet was provided at the end - sans commentary. That would actually be useful in a true review.  ;)

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