Theater in Italy canceled performance of Russian dancer
2022.12.30 07:45
Theater in Italy canceled performance of Russian dancer
Budrigannews.com – In response to online protests over the artist’s scheduled appearance, an Italian theater cancelled a show on Friday by a prominent Russian dancer who has three tattoos of President Vladimir Putin on his chest and shoulders.
The Arcimboldi theatre in Milan announced on its website that Sergei Polunin’s January 28-29 performance had been postponed “due to the pressing campaign (against it) on the internet and social media.”
The ballet “Rasputin – Dance Drama” that Polunin was supposed to star in was originally scheduled to premiere in 2019, but it was repeatedly pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given “a climate of tensions and threats,” the theater stated that the cancellation was an act of “political and moral responsibility.” A spokeswoman stated that numerous online negative messages and an email campaign had targeted the theater.
The Arcimboldi said that it had made the decision in consultation with the artist’s company. It said that it was strongly against the war in Ukraine and that it had put on shows by Ukrainian artists and the Russian dissidents’ group Pussy Riot.
Polunin, a former principal at the Royal Ballet in London and one of the world’s most famous dancers, was born in Ukraine but received Russian citizenship in 2018. His website did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While on tour in Uzbekistan in September, he performed a military-themed dance for fallen Russian soldiers. The Uzbek authorities issued a warning, claiming that he had deviated from a predetermined schedule.
In the wake of Moscow’s military campaign against Ukraine, which began on February 24, performances by Russian artists and Russian artworks have become contentious in the West.
The La Scala opera house in Milan decided to open its 2022–2023 season with the Russian work “Boris Godunov” despite the fact that Russian conductor Valery Gergiev failed to condemn the invasion.
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