In Ukraine and Russia, where ballet is centrally important to culture, dancers have had their worlds upended by the Russian invasion.
For decades now, Russians have known the drill. When there's bad news brewing, such as the death of a leader, or a convulsive event, such as the Chernobyl disaster, State TV switches its programming and begins airing Tchaikovsky's ballet,"Swan Lake." Nothing to see her folks. But also note the choice of distraction. Ballet is centrally important to Russian society and to Russian image.
Alexei Ratmansky: This is something that celebrates Russia. Every important guest who would visit Soviet Union would be invited to the Bolshoi, see the performance. And that was a pride of, of Russia at any time.Alexei Ratmansky trained at the Bolshoi school and was for a time its artistic director. He was born in Russia, but grew up in Kyiv, where his parents still live. At the time of the invasion, he was in Russia choreographing two ballets.
Jon Wertheim: You're getting this barrage of emails from-- from parents and from dancers. What-- what are they-- what are telling you? What are they asking you? Larissa Saveliev: We give each child a number, just to move faster. And we say,"okay, number 55 is, like-- just get a spot in Stuttgart, okay. Okay, number 54 just get a spot in-- Dresden."When a slot opened for Polina, she stuffed leotards and tutus into a suitcase along with a bottle of her mom's perfume, a reminder of home. And then she headed to Kyiv's train station.
While he says he's shaken by what he's seen unfold on the battlefield, he's also appalled by a war taking place on another front at the Bolshoi.Jon Wertheim: You said toxic?
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