As far as I know Vladimir is not going to quit dancing. In September he'll be performing Albrecht in Berlin Staatsoper "Giselle" partnering Diana Vishneva as a guest-star. In December he is planning to mount his version of "La Bayadere" and dance Solor.
I'd also like to contribute to the admirers of this uniquely gifted dancer with some traces of his career in Russia. It is common knowledge all over the world that Malakhov is a " True Prince" (there exist a well-made documentary of this title). But Vladimir has also a talent of a comic actor which he manifested in Russia more than once before leaving for the West. For the first time he revealed these qualities in a composition based on Mayakovsky's play "The Bug". It was choreographed for ballet competition in Moscow and was a big success. Then especially for him the role of Gamash in Don Quichote was newly choreographed. Alas my English is rather poor to describe how mockingly touching he was as an unlucky fiancee' - with ribbons in his long curly hair (at that time) and shoes, moving on the stage like a grasshopper and jumping like a balloon. This ballet was shot for TV, but unfortunately never released as a commercial video. He was a wonderful playful Adam in "Creation of the World" (this role was first made for Baryshnikov) and … a cheeky Carmen in a special New Year TV-program. He did not loose his sense of humor since then, and can even appear on special occasions on points (wonderful technique!) as he did for example in Japan in a parody on Sylvie Guillem (female variation from Auber's Grand Pas Classique). Ms. Guillem kissed him after that and said he was "naughty boy" (with strong French accent which Vladimir perfectly imitates). I must stress that his grotesque roles are never vulgar, but refined, like Toulouse-Lautrec's posters.
