by Irene Soave
The dancer was scheduled to take the stage at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi on January 28 and 29, but his sexist, racist and Putin-praising positions sparked a mobilization to cancel the event
For some he is the greatest living classical dancer: Critics’ comparisons are with Nurejev and Barishnikov, but almost always accompanied by adjectives such as controversial, iconoclast, self-destructive, punk. Even those who don’t know what a pli is have seen him dance: he was the magnetic performer in the video for Hozier’s 2015 hit, Take Me to Church, directed by David LaChapelle. Thirty million views. He’s said it all over the years: fat people need to be slapped, women are out of control because nobody fucks them anymore, Putin is my light. On his chest he has three tattoos of the Russian President’s face and a black sun, a runic symbol Himmler adopted for the floors of his castle, but he erases them with a laser: I want to be clean. It will take two years. In the meantime, it is enough to announce Sergei Polunin’s presence in a European theater to launch campaigns, petitions and mobilizations.
The latest case is now underway in Milan. Born in 1989 in Kherson, in the heart of war-ravaged Ukraine, but married to Russian ice dance Olympic champion Elena Il’inych, he was supposed to take part in the 28 ballet Rasputin – Tanzdrama. But we are thinking about cancelling, admits director Gianmario Longoni. There is already a cautious announcement on Instagram. Dubious formula: Believing in the freedom of expression and the non-political nature of art, the management is working to suspend the repetitions of the ballet Rasputin – Tanzdrama announced on the draft law since December 2019. For a week, on social media and in the theater’s mailbox (hundreds of messages have arrived), messages of protest multiply: pro-Russian, homophobic, Putin-worshippers: send him away. On the Change.org platform, thousands of signatures collected send a message to the Mayor of Milan, Beppe Sala: cancel the show. The mayor contacted by Corriere did not comment. The petition was relaunched by various pro-Ukrainian associations in Italy, such as Supolka, the network of Belarusians in the country.
The director of Arcimboldi, Gianmario Longoni, defended his bill for days: the show was planned from 2019 and then postponed several times. Polunin should have come last spring, when the war had already broken out; was injured and the show was canceled again. April’s injury seemed to have been destined. But now we have a hall of tickets sold and out of respect for those who bought them we would confirm. Even Polunin’s seal of approval has already been paid for, and resigning would be catastrophic, he said a few days ago. Also in the name of the most recent debate, which was already sparked when La Scala in Milan canceled a directorship for Putin’s Maestro Valery Gergiev: Does the war on culture make sense? Even the Olympic Committee is considering reintroducing Russian athletes. Polunin is one of the greatest dancers in the world. Don’t we want more difficult artists? Johnny Cash was addicted to heroin. I agree to stop hosting those old Italian comedians with sexist jokes. But can these artists really be left at home?
Indeed, leaving Polunin at home was the modus operandi of the greatest theatres. Joined the Royal Ballet in London at 19, he left at 21 due to incompatibility. The Paris Opera engaged him for Swan Lake in 2019; kicked him out soon after. His shows were canceled in Berlin and Prague. With the data he can still do in Russia, he makes charitable donations to the army. The change of course is now also taking place in Milan. I hate to think about it, but there is a public order problem, explains the director of the Arcimboldi, Gianmario Longoni. We get threats. Our employees receive threats. What if he comes and then something happens in the hall? The irritating thing that happens to us in the name of a pacifist pretext. They want peace, but they also want to silence those who don’t think like them.
December 23, 2022 (change December 23, 2022 | 18:24)
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