mymodernmet.com: Russian ballerina Olga Smirnova has shown her disdain for her country's invasion of Ukraine by leaving the Bolshoi Ballet. Smirnova, a prima ballerina who has been with the historic company for a decade, will now dance for the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam. Her decision lends another voice to the Russians who are denouncing Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.
4 comments:
This is so incredibly courageous of her to do. Going against what Putin and his inner circle who have started and perpetuated this war could land any Russian in prison for around twenty five years for treason. Especially as someone who is so clearly in the public eye, her speaking out against the war could have had some terrible and long lasting consequences. I am especially happy for her as she was so quickly picked up by the Dutch national ballet, especially for an artist employment can be hard to find not to mention work that will help you escape a country that might put you away for treason. It is very heartening to see the sheer amount of Russian citizens who are so defiantly against the war. In the past few years I know that Russia has tried to make the military a more widely accepted political platform by trying to kind of brainwash the younger generations so the fact that at least it didn’t work all the way.
It’s pretty incredible how Smirnova is using her career as a tool to help her express her views. To be in such a prominent position in this ballet company especially with its importance in Russia and to give up that role is a very strong statement to make. She is putting both her job and in turn her livelihood on the line. Especially with the kind of censorship that Russia is putting on its citizens because of the war, this is a very risky thing to express exactly how much Smirnova goes against it. I think that art is such an important way to express your own internal views and Smirnova is doing just that. She is using ballet as a tool to further her anti-war view. I think a lot of people don’t want art to get political, but that I feel like is the whole purpose. It’s great to see someone using whatever kind of power that they can get to further a message of peace.
Often, solidarity is conveyed with empty words. Russian ballerina Olga Smirnova has left the Bolshoi Ballet after a decade and will now dance for the National Ballet in Amsterdam to express her stance against the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Often, solidarity is conveyed with empty words, but in this case, Smirnova not only is leaving her current position, she is leaving her country and potentially breaking Russian law by expressing views that are not in line with Putin's positions. Not only is this a brave act on her part, it is a very strong public statement because of the stakes at hand and a reminder to those who exist without close ties to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and community that within political regimes are people who have varying ideals and political thought. They are not a monolith that blindly agrees with the political players in power. She is an example of how prominent people, especially people in the arts, can make powerful public political statements.
One of the key ways for an artist to make a statement is by using their individual agency. For Smirnova, this means using her talent and value to the company as a sort of protest, I think that is incredibly courageous. In modern culture, the temptation is to write a tweet, Facebook, or any other social media statement saying that they object, or repost someone else's statement. The problem with this is that it doesn't actually provoke any actual change, it may possibly raise awareness but not enough to actually contribute to any support or resolution. Instead, her action is powerful and shocking to observers and may serve to empower other artists or company members. In her published statement in the Dutch National Ballet, she describes the pain of losing love and pride for her country, and I think that is a shared experience many can resonate within this time.
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