Scandal, politics mix at Bolshoi ‘Nureyev’ premiere

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A Russian theatre, a controversial star, a last-minute cancellation and a director under house arrest – almost as much drama will have taken place behind the scenes as there will be on stage when the new ballet “Nureyev” premieres at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre on Saturday.

Rumors have swirled around the new piece and why it was suddenly called off, three days before it was due to initially premiere in July.

The theatre claimed at the time that the dancers were not ready. Others close to the production however insisted this was untrue.

This file photo taken on July 9, 2017 shows the Bolshoi Theatre building reflected in a plaque announcing the "Nureyev" ballet premiere in Moscow. /VCG Photo

The ballet retraces the life of Rudolf Nureyev, one of ballet’s biggest stars but also an immensely controversial figure, who defected from the Soviet Union by jumping a fence at a Paris airport in 1961, and died in 1992 after contracting AIDS.

According to Russian news agency TASS, the sensitive subject matter – Nureyev was also gay – was the reason the ballet was cancelled the first time.

TASS said Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky met with Bolshoi director Vladimir Urin ahead of the July premiere and expressed concern the ballet violated a gay propaganda law passed by Russia in 2013.

English National Ballet dancers Vadim Muntagirov and Esteban Berlanga perform during "A tribute to Rudolf Nureyev" at the London Coliseum on July 24, 2013. /VCG Photo

A synopsis of the two-act ballet on the Bolshoi’s website describes scenes with men in drag at Paris’s Bois de Boulogne – a well-known haunt for prostitutes – and the “mutual passion” between Nureyev and Erik – a reference to Danish dancer Erik Bruhn, Nureyev’s long-time partner.

The ballet has also been labelled “adults only” on the Bolshoi’s schedule of performances. This could explain how the theatre got around the gay propaganda law, which was officially passed to protect minors.

Screenshot of the Bolshoi's website. /CGTN

Adding to the drama, the ballet’s creator Kirill Serebrennikov has been under house arrest since August, accused of embezzling over one million US dollars in state art funds.

His supporters say the allegations are politically motivated, ahead of presidential elections in March that could see President Vladimir Putin stay another six years in power. Serebrennikov himself has called the claims “absurd,” insisting the money was entirely spent on actual productions.

Described by The Guardian as “one of the edgiest contemporary directors in Russia,” the 48-year-old director has been a vocal critic of censorship in the arts, taking part in anti-government protests and mocking the growing influence of the Russian Orthodox Church and the state, according to media reports.

A police officer is seen near the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on November 5, 2017. /VCG Photo

Last month, Russia seized Serebrennikov's assets – including his apartment, car and bank accounts – as part of the embezzlement case.

Putin has however denied that the case was in any way linked to politics.

The venerable Bolshoi Theatre is no stranger to scandals. In 2013, the ballet’s artistic director Sergei Filin was left permanently scarred and blind in one eye after an acid attack orchestrated by a dancer with the company.

Soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko was later sentenced to six years in prison but was released last year, and in a bizarre twist, allowed to rejoin the company for ballet classes.

This file photo taken on December 3, 2013 shows Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko during his trial in Moscow for masterminding an acid attack on the troupe's artistic director. /VCG Photo

The attack also laid bare the noxious atmosphere at the Bolshoi, with Filin reportedly handing out roles in exchange for sexual and financial favors.

Britain's The Telegraph described the theatre as a “creative hotbed of murky melodrama” as well as a “cesspool of rivalries and cruelty.”

On Saturday, eyes will be more focused on what has been one of the most eagerly anticipated premieres of the year.

“Nureyev” is scheduled for just two performances for now: on December 9 and 10. Both however have already sold out.

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