Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Russia's Canceled Ballet Is a Sign of the Times
Creators: The Bolshoi Ballet, Russia's premier ballet company, hit the ballet world with another scandal recently by canceling its much-anticipated premiere of biopic performance, Nureev, three days before curtain. Created by director Kirill Serebrennikov, choreographer Yuri Possokhov, and composer Ilya Demutsky, it was a performance that combined ballet and theater to tell the story of Rudolf Nureyev, one of the greatest dancers of the 20th century. The performance was expected to be the cultural event of the year, potentially revolutionizing the repertoire of the classically-minded Bolshoi, as well as a new opportunity for touring and income from the international stage.
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I found this article to be enlightening and important, in its discussion of the implications of the cancelation of the ballet. I think, sometimes though perhaps not recently, it is easy to forget that the entire world is not making positive progress. I think this article was very important because it touched on the idea that there is still a lot of progress that needs to happen in the world. I found it worrying that this kind of censorship is so prevalent in Russia today and that, even though the Bolshoi Ballet denied government involvement, the cancellation suggests that there is currently a lot of pressure to conform and not make too many waves. At the end, the author mentions that the lead dancer, Vladislav Lantratov, expressed a desire to perform the piece next year, instead, and that a performance has been promised for May of 2018. Hopefully, this performance will not also be cancelled, as an openness towards seeing art that delves into more sensitive topics is crucial to making progress.
The cancellation of this ballet is quite upsetting to me, and is surely to the dance community as well. While I do not closely follow dance-related news, reading the circumstances of this situation really hits a nerve. It is my understanding that Rudolf Nureyev was a fantastically talented dancer, who endured many difficulties throughout his life. The Bolshoi Ballet company obviously recognized this, and rightfully wanted to pay tribute to Nureyev, his dedication to his art, and his life’s story. The cancellation strikes me particularly hard because it was most likely related to Nureyev being gay. I come from a high school where the student body is incredibly supportive of students of all sexualities, and hearing about the censorship of Nureyev’s impactful story makes me upset for the LBGTQ+ community, and for those who could have personally related to the performance and benefited from it. I also feel sorry for the Bolshoi company members who invested themselves into that production. I hope something is done to renew the ballet, whether it be in Russia or elsewhere. Art is a voice for the oppressed, and we need to make sure that voice isn’t silenced.
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