Ukraine invasion & the arts: Gergiev fired by his agent, etc.

[abatt]

This sounds like a minor official - a  NY State Assemblyman - intimidating the head of the Koch.  The above letter does not cite to any violation of any sanctions as the basis for his demand that  YAGP break its  contract with these dancers.  

[California]

39 minutes ago, matilda said:

The Pointe Magazine article about Smirnova and Tissi is from 2018, FYI. 

2018 - yes. But what an odd coincidence! I doubt we'll ever know the whole story, but it's more and more puzzling. Why was Kim given a visa, when he never publicly criticized the war and hasn't performed in the West since the invasion. Were these visa decisions rushed through by the state department without taking time to check things out on all of them? Did somebody say, well, we denied visas in 2018, must be something suspicious?

[volcanohunter]

It's not really a coincidence, because Khoreva did get a visa and did fly to New York. 

Khoreva, Kim and Nagahisa are all employed by the Mariinsky, whose director is Vladimir Putin's number one apologist in the arts, and where intellectual property rights are ignored. All of them have performed in occupied Crimea. All of then have performed ballets from the which the choreographer's name has been removed, and not just in The Pharaoh's Daughter, but in indisputable Ratmansky ballets. These are some of the reasons the Mariinsky Ballet has become untouchable, and everyone who dances there carries its taint.

[abatt]

But the stated basis for intimidating the Koch theater into denying these performers the right to perform at the theater has nothing to do with copyright violations. (By the way, Cuba  frequently violates copyright with respect to choreography, but their dancers are nevertheless permitted to perform here.)

The stated reason in the Assemblyman's letter is the war in Ukraine.  As far as I'm aware Kim and Nagahisa are not Russian citizens.  They are citizens of countries that are allies of the US, and their home countries have not prohibited them from working with the Mariinsky. There is no citation of any law or regulation which the Koch or YAGP would be violating by permitting these performers on stage. 

 

As an aside, why was the Assemblyman's letter addressed to the Koch instead of  YAGP, which is the entity that actually contracted with these performers.

 

Maybe the Assemblyman's efforts to aid Ukraine would be better served by calling out the Republicans in Congress who have held up desperately needed aid to Ukraine for so long.   

 

 

 

[volcanohunter]

I think it's all about the Mariinsky as a brand. Had they been Russian dancers who work abroad, there wouldn't have been a problem. Had they been Japanese or Korean dancers who didn't work in Russia, there wouldn't have been a problem. But the Mariinsky is part and parcel of Putin's machine, as a tool of soft power, in that it gives special performances for the military, in that its director is part of Putin's inner circle and has used those ties to the hilt.

In particular Nagahisa and Kim have made a choice to continue working in Russia, which is not an ally of the United States, and they must realize that one of the consequences of that decision is that their foreign appearances would be greatly reduced.

[volcanohunter]

It's also not unusual for a cancelation to be initiated by the venue. After all, impresario A or organizer B thought that inviting controversial performer X or speaker Y was a good idea.

Edited April 19 by volcanohunter

[abatt]

Mariinsky Dancers Barred From Youth Ballet Gala in New York - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

This  debacle has made the NY Times. They forgot to mention that some of the banned dancers are not Russian citizens.

In  reality, many people, myself included, regarded Kim and Khoreva as the headliners for this event.  

Edited April 19 by abatt

[volcanohunter]

While the gala was taking place, the city of Dnipro and its vicinity was being bombed, resulting in seven deaths, including two children aged 8 and 14. So honestly, I'm not too worried about Khoreva's or Kim's feelings or the disappointment of people who wanted to see them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68853490 

[nanushka]

It was certainly a controversial decision — but a debacle? 

[abatt]

YAGP should not have announced them as artists for the program if they were just going to cave to protestors.   The war in Ukraine is tragic.  But I don't  think the blame for Ukraine's misery can be placed on the shoulders of Kimin Kim or Nagahisa.  

The Met Opera hired Russian Akhmetshina this season as its new Carmen, and featured her in its Live in HD performance of the opera.  The Met also hired other Russians regularly.  She also performs at the Royal Opera this season.  How could it be possible that it's okay for a Russian citizen to perform at the Met Opera, but it's not okay for a South Korean citizen who has been performing in Russia for many years before the war started to perform here, and  is persona non grata in the U.S. 

I attended the show last night (the YAGP gala) but I saw no protests.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19 by abatt

[Drew]

55 minutes ago, abatt said:

YAGP should not have announced them as artists for the program if they were just going to cave to protestors.   The war in Ukraine is tragic, and it's even more tragic that certain Republicans  decided to let Ukraine twist in the wind.  But I don't  think the blame for Ukraine's misery can be placed on the shoulders of Kimin Kim or Nagahisa.  

 

The Met Opera hired Russian Akhmetshina this season as its new Carmen, and featured her in its Live in HD performance of the opera.  The Met also hired other Russians regularly.  She also performs at the Royal Opera this season.  How could it be possible that it's okay for a Russian citizen to perform at the Met Opera, but it's not okay for a South Korean citizen who has been performing in Russia for many years before the war started is persona non grata in the U.S. 

I attended the show last night (the YAGP gala) but I saw no protests.

 

 

 

 

The issue raised in the assemblyman's letter is not Russian nationality but institutional affiliation with the Mariinsky whose head is a very close ally of Putin. I find it less problematic for someone to be banned for that reason than for someone to be banned on basis of nationality or even citizenship.  Akhmetshina is not listed on the Mariinsky's website or on the Bolshoi's--she is not a member of those companies. In fact, according to an interview in Vogue, after one competition in Moscow her entire career has been in the West.   In any case, there is no Russian institutional affiliation that links her to the likes of Gergiev, nor has she been through the ideological machinery that sends artists to perform in the Crimea. [Ballet fans may be intrigued to learn that, like Nureyev, Akhmetshina is from Ufa. She even specifies in the Vogue interview that "I am from the Republic of Bashkortostan in Russia..." and in another (12/31/2023 NYTimes) that she is half Tatar and half Bakshir --so shades of Nureyev there too.]

Whatever the personal situation or political stance (if any) of Khoreva, Kim, and Nagahisa they "represent" a major Russian institution closely tied not just to the Russian state but to Putin personally. Akmetshina does not. One might argue that the situation does not merit banishing them from American stages; on the other side, I suppose some might argue that even Akmetshina should be banished. But I feel I understand the difference between the cases.

(And, all that said, it also wouldn't surprise me to learn that there are inconsistencies in how companies and theaters go about addressing this issue, and any one controversy may have spillover effects to other situations.)

YAGP seems to have though they could open a little chink in the balletic iron curtain and ride out the controversy, but the Koch theater is technically owned by New York State and gets money from them, so it's no great shocker the theater caved in once the issue was raised in Albany. I say, "the theater" because Khoreva's Instagram says the theater cancelled the appearance . But who knows how this played out. She herself probably doesn't.

I am inclined to think that the original invitation to the Mariinsky dancers was insufficiently thought through. I don't think this is just 20/20 hindsight on my part because...well...when I saw their names listed for the gala I was very surprised. When I saw the appearances had been cancelled, much less surprised. I can imagine what YAGP might have been thinking (I edited this post to get rid of those speculations) but in any case, for the current context, they were mistaken....

 

Edited April 19 by Drew

[volcanohunter]

Akhmetshina has been working in the West since she joined the young-artists' program of the Royal Opera House in 2017. I likewise think that if YAGP had invited a Russian ballerina who works in the United States, the Netherlands or Austria, it would not have been an issue. 

[abatt]

When a dancer takes an outside gig he is not a representative  of his employer. Perhaps yagp should have referred to Kim as intl guest artist

[volcanohunter]

That sort of terminology is only used in the case of freelancers. There is a reason dancers are identified by their professional affiliation: étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, senior artist of the Australian Ballet or principal dancer of San Francisco Ballet. They are hired precisely as representatives of their employer. This establishes their credentials with audiences and carries varying degrees of prestige.

[nanushka]

23 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

That sort of terminology is only used in the case of freelancers. There is a reason dancers are identified by their professional affiliation: étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, senior artist of the Australian Ballet or principal dancer of San Francisco Ballet. They are hired precisely as representatives of their employer. This establishes their credentials with audiences and carries varying degrees of prestige.

Yes, hence the NYT headline: "Mariinsky Dancers Barred..."

[stuben]

With all the conversations about this, I can't help but think about the daily atrocities committed by Putin's regime towards the Ukranian people. Also, in light of all that has come out about Putin's disinformation campaign, these dancers are a part of that propaganda. The USA has sanctioned Russia and all Russian assets, so this is rightly a part of that sanction.

[California]

5 hours ago, stuben said:

With all the conversations about this, I can't help but think about the daily atrocities committed by Putin's regime towards the Ukranian people. Also, in light of all that has come out about Putin's disinformation campaign, these dancers are a part of that propaganda. The USA has sanctioned Russia and all Russian assets, so this is rightly a part of that sanction.

I had a long conversation last year with an expert on Baltic studies, working in the US. I asked her opinion on boycotting a professional association or university in Russia, as it was presumably state-sponsored/affiliated in some way, vs boycotting individuals working at those institutions. She was adamant that we should be boycotting everybody and everything. All Russians in Russia must realize they need to somehow pressure Putin to withdraw. I recognize that publicly criticizing Putin in any way is dangerous for Russians and I don't know whether boycotts of individuals in Russia helps at all. But the urgency and intensity of her feelings on this stayed with me. I don't share the view that all cultural heritage from Russia must be boycotted (e.g., refusing to perform Swan Lake), but I do remember Ratmansky's comment when he was helping the United Ukrainian Ballet. He was asked why Giselle was chosen for their first performances. "Because it's not Russian." 

[Mashinka]

Criticizing the war lands you in jail for 15 years in Russia, somewhere in the region of 300,000 mostly young people have fled Russia since the war began and not just draft dodgers.  I personally know a dancer who for many years was posting anti Putin views on social media, before the war he had ambitions to go into opposition politics.  He has now moved to Germany.

Many dancers have family commitments that mean they can't even consider leaving, others are enthusiastic supporters of the war and Putin's regime.

Poor Smirnova,  in February she danced in London in one of Ivan Putrov's Ukrainian fundraisers.  She deserves credit for her beliefs and certainly should never have been denied a US entry visa. 

 

[volcanohunter]

Visa applications aren't an exact science. According to press coverage at the time, YAGP had been applying successfully for a certain type of visa for years, but in 2018 a consular official decided that the applications didn't fit the criteria. I recall that on one occasion Edward Watson wasn't able to participate in performances in the United States because of visa problems. Watson, like Jacopo Tissi, would not have required a visa to enter the country as a tourist, but performances are an entirely different thing. Even opera companies, which apply for large numbers of visas routinely, have run into problems from time to time.

As for protests, there is a tipping point, and there isn't an available prison cell for every single Russian citizen. But to be successful, a protest movement would have to be on a very large scale. Not necessarily everywhere, but certainly in Moscow.

[Petra]

Quote

I had a long conversation last year with an expert on Baltic studies, working in the US. I asked her opinion on boycotting a professional association or university in Russia, as it was presumably state-sponsored/affiliated in some way, vs boycotting individuals working at those institutions. She was adamant that we should be boycotting everybody and everything. All Russians in Russia must realize they need to somehow pressure Putin to withdraw. I recognize that publicly criticizing Putin in any way is dangerous for Russians and I don't know whether boycotts of individuals in Russia helps at all.

I feel that the Israel-Gaza war has muddied the waters with respect to cultural boycotts of individuals, and this may have played into the YAGP gala issue.

Israel is most definitely not sanctioned by the US and in fact has received a huge amount of aid and support from the US. However increasingly Israeli art and artists are being "cancelled" or have to fight to be shown or perform. The current Israeli government is proudly anti-intellectual. Many Israeli artists (probably the majority) oppose the Netanyahu regime and may very well be part of the wide-spread protest movement against the government, so boycotting them has no influence over Israeli policy, is more virtue-signaling than anything else and harms the very people who should be encouraged to speak their mind.

 

[Drew]

22 hours ago, Mashinka said:

Criticizing the war lands you in jail for 15 years in Russia, somewhere in the region of 300,000 mostly young people have fled Russia since the war began and not just draft dodgers.  I personally know a dancer who for many years was posting anti Putin views on social media, before the war he had ambitions to go into opposition politics.  He has now moved to Germany.

Many dancers have family commitments that mean they can't even consider leaving, others are enthusiastic supporters of the war and Putin's regime.

Poor Smirnova,  in February she danced in London in one of Ivan Putrov's Ukrainian fundraisers.  She deserves credit for her beliefs and certainly should never have been denied a US entry visa. 

 

Smirnova has not been denied a visa at any time since 2022. She and her partner were denied visas to dance at a YAGP gala back in 2018  because--at least according to the state department-- YAGP applied for the wrong kind of visa. (At the time many of us though this was silly and were quick to assume Trumpian craziness.)  It is extremely unfortunate that a misunderstanding concerning Smirnova has been perpetuated by our discussion here. 

Edited to add: I see that @volcanohunter addressed the 2018 visa denial above giving more background as to the issues. .

Edited April 22 by Drew

[Quiggin]

Interview with Vladimir Jurowski in The Telegraph:

Quote

“It was a feeling, a hunch that things were about to get worse, especially after Russia annexed the Crimea,” says the 52-year-old conductor. “The irony was that at exactly that moment they held out a hand to me. The government offered to restore my Russian passport, which I lost after I emigrated to Germany with my family when I was 18. It was actually the great-grandson of Leo Tolstoy who approached me from the Culture Ministry. Other émigré Russian artists and musicians received the same offer, and some people accepted, but I just couldn’t. I remembered the case of Sergei Prokofiev, who accepted an offer to return to the Soviet Union in 1936, and from then on was trapped. He was never able to leave again. I didn’t want that to be my fate.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/classical-music/vladimir-jurowski-composer-interview-royal-festival-hall/

[Helene]

We're not going there.

We are not allowing in a broader "whataboutism" discussion of politics where we cherry pick historical examples that suit our politics among the many, many examples of visa, hiring, booking, and invitation decisions  General discussions of politics are against policy.

The question at hand is why these visas were rejected., whether or not we personally agree with them.

[cubanmiamiboy]

On 4/19/2024 at 6:03 PM, abatt said:

When a dancer takes an outside gig he is not a representative  of his employer. Perhaps yagp should have referred to Kim as intl guest artist

They're being punished by default.