Polunin guesting in the United States?

[pbl]

Is Polunin guesting in the United States this year or next? I don't see any kind of calendar for him other than his FB page.

Edited February 26, 2019 by pbl

[Mashinka]

Quote

Is Polunin guesting in the United States

What would the American reaction be, curiosity regarding his notoriety or would there be distaste for his utterances and the Putin tattoo?

[howpureisivory]

I feel his talent would be worth seeing. Honestly, maybe it would do him good to work with more people outside of his usual realm. People who will call him on his BS, especially those who are just as talented as he is and probably have worked twice as hard or have had some of the same struggles but aren't acting out in this kind of way.

[pbl]

Frankly he comes across in interviews as not just saying some BS, but unhinged. I don't care. I'm coming to see him perform in a wordless art. If we had seen Nijinsky interviewed, or posting in social media, I'm sure it would have appeared pretty unhinged too. But who would give up the chance to see Nijinsky perform? How many men are performing at the level of Polunin, and are in their prime today? It's a shame that POB and other organizations are running so scared on this. Do they not think the public can separate the art from the artist? Is there any art form in which someone's utterances are less relevant than ballet? My grandparents were survivors of Auschwitz but I can still enjoy Degas' paintings despite his anti-semitism. I can still enjoy Jean Cocteau's films. And so on. We need to get back to a world in which boards, executive directors and artistic directors treat their public as discerning adults, and stop responding to the angry adolescent puritanical spirit of the moment.

[Josette]

Many men are dancing well above the level of Polunin's present abilities. 

[pbl]

31 minutes ago, Josette said:

Many men are dancing well above the level of Polunin's present abilities. 

Who are your favorites?

[Deflope]

I agree with Josette. The last time I saw him live, he looked haggard and like he was going through the motions, and the recent vids don’t seem to indicate a reversal.  It’d be one thing if Polunin was someone who was a  professional who honors his commitments and puts in an effort in his performances, but that hasn’t been the case.  Many times, erratic behavior spills into professional life and I think Polunin’s half hearted performances and frequent cancellations reflect his character  

Anyway, The only place he does classical these days is Munich. He is more focused on his vanity pieces, so any appearance is probably not going to be classical.  

[pbl]

Oh, that's sad to hear. The classical performances on Youtube look beautiful. Whatever it is that is going on inside him, whether it is mental illness, or substance abuse, or just inner turbulence, probably does have to have an impact at some point.

[volcanohunter]

I haven't seen Polunin live often, and not especially recently, but what I did see him dance in the flesh were 19th-century ballets, and I didn't care for his performances one bit. They were flawed and very far from classical ideals. There was a time when I might have been interested in seeing him dance other repertoire, but not any longer, and certainly not the vanity pieces.

I doubt he would have much traction in the U.S. I don't know many of the people who have seen his YouTube videos or follow his Instragram would actually pay money to see him perform. I suspect if a presenter thought they might, we would have seen an American tour by now, infamous reputation notwithstanding.

[naomikage]

Sorry I can't find the source right now but I read in an interview with him that after resigning Royal Ballet he auditioned for ABT, in hopes to have a career in the US. But they did not take him. 

[vagansmom]

I remember that article:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wmagazine.com/story/sergei-polunin-dancer-actor-murder-on-the-orient-express/amp

"He reached out to American Ballet Theatre after decamping from the Royal Ballet, but was not offered a contract."

[Mashinka]

I imagine word had got out about his problematic personality.  He was very generously offered a chance to return to the RB as a guest not long ago and true to form he cancelled.

[Fosca]

On 2/27/2019 at 3:53 PM, pbl said:

My grandparents were survivors of Auschwitz but I can still enjoy Degas' paintings despite his anti-semitism. I can still enjoy Jean Cocteau's films.

Those are dead artists. Just out of interest: Could you enjoy Polunin's dancing if his Instagram rants were anti-semitic?

[pbl]

5 hours ago, Fosca said:

Those are dead artists. Just out of interest: Could you enjoy Polunin's dancing if his Instagram rants were anti-semitic?

You know, that's a really good point. Here's my best attempt at an answer. First, I have purchased tickets to see Mel Gibson films, putting money in his pocket. Mixed feelings? Sure. But in keeping with my first post, my intent was to judge the work. (I have found it lacking.) Second, Polunin seems more addled and even incoherent in his comments than focused. Gibson was drunk when he gave his most famous rant, but it was quite clear what he meant. I haven't read all of Polunin's posts, just summaries in newspapers, so I might be missing something. But what I read did not seem as cogently bigoted as Gibson's comments were antisemitic. Third, a dancer performing canon/repertoire pieces does not have much scope to inject bigotry into the work, whatever he says offline.

I have a deep respect for the other contributors on this forum and thread, and the videos I have seen of Polunin are several years old, so I suspect the other posters may be right and it may not be worth a lot of trouble to see him perform. 

I would be interested to hear from Josette about her favorite male artists.

My first post reflects my worry about a world in which judgment is summary, due process and proportionality are an afterthought, and the punishment is:

. . . and no, the irony of the Putin tattoo isn't lost on me. Regards to all.