NPR: It's a story right out of the movies: The artistic director of one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world is violently attacked. His attacker and the motive are shrouded in mystery. But behind these sensational headlines is a ballet company that is both legendary and plagued with scandals and infighting.
Last month in Moscow, Sergei Filin, the Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director, was attacked by a masked man who threw acid in his face, causing severe burns and nearly blinding him. Filin, a handsome, 42-year-old former principal dancer, has been with the company since he was a teenager. He was attacked one night as he was returning home, says New York Times Moscow correspondent Ellen Barry, who has been covering the story.
6 comments:
It's terrible to read and hear things about such terrible attacks and threats. The fact that things like this happen in the world are just horrible. Also, being in an entertainment business and having to deal with threats and attacks and scandals is something just so absurd. The entertainment business never seems to settle down no matter where you are. It always seems that someone isn't happy and will do everything in their power to let you know that they are unsatisfied and unamused. However, I do believe opinions should be shared and heard, but to have them physically demeaning to someone's personal self and their company is ridiculous. I have seen some shows from theatre companies that I have detested because of many reasons, but I would never go beyond just telling people how I feel. There is no need to get physical and hurt a company or any of their staff members.
Sometimes it can get so frustrating how people who work in drama can be so, well... dramatic. For some reason it just attracts the kind of people that can overplay anything. This is a perfect example of that. Lots of backstabbing and the like all because they are quibbling over parts in shows and some new artistic vision. And the acid in face is taking that to such an absurd length. The article makes it sound like it was probably a dancer who didn't get a part they thought they deserved. If thats the case, thats disgusting. That's a dancer acting like a spoiled child. Allowing this kind of behavior on smaller levels definitely encourages events like this, is there some reason that we can't keep the egos of actors and dancers in check when it gets this bad?
I think it is obscene that people would go so far to limit someone's career. I think acid is taking an assault to another level. I can see how rivals of Serge could react this way but it is still unacceptable. I can see how patrons who are long holding ticket holders could be opposed to new material but again that is no reason for an assault.
This is terrible. I can't understand what element of ballet would cause someone to commit such a horrid act. Like many highly competitive environments, cattiness and scandal is not unheard of, but what happened to Filin is simply uncalled for. People really need to find better ways to react to find a better way to react to anger then violence, because stories like these are absolutely heartbreaking. Ballet is supposed to be beautiful, not deadly.
This sounds like Mean Girls meets Black Swan. What surprises me is that this kind of attack was made within a ballet company, not a government office or anything more important. Seriously? I understand the highly competitive atmosphere I'm sure any company like this has, and I'm sure they've had their share of "he said, she said, he did, she did" drama. But to go so far as to procure acid with the intention to maliciously harm someone and then actually physically follow through with it is definitely crossing the line by a good mile. I hope he heals okay and tries his best not to make anymore people angry.
The previous artistic director Alexei Ratmansky's comments at the end of the article prove that all of these problems have been persisting and occurring for a long time, but have finally reached a boiling point with the acid incident. That is a pretty harsh and serious statement that he made, especially as a previous artistic director and not just a company dancer. It is also quite worrisome. I wonder why Alexei left the company and if it was for reasons relevant to his comment. Maybe they need to have a serious investigation after this attack, because the attacker used acid this time, but it could be a bullet or a knife the next time. I also think that since this seems to be a very prestige institution that may be a source of major income and business for the government that these things will be swept under the carpet. I also love how they seems to suggest or hint throughout the article that it could have been a lover or ex-lover.
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