The famous dancer Sergei Polunin: “I tore off the Russian coat of arms on my arm shortly before the annexation of Crimea. Sergei Polunin, biography, news, photos Sergei Polunin, dancer: career

Sergei Polunin is the most famous and most scandalous (and even the most beautiful) ballet dancer since the time of the great Nureyev. But the fact that tickets for performances with his participation expire within a couple of hours after the start of sales does not really bother Sergey. He dreams of something else - about cinema and about freedom.

Of all modern dancers, only a few arouse such interest and such close attention of the public (sometimes far from the theater) as Sergei Polunin. Dancing James Dean, brooding and temperamental Heathcliff, the bad boy of the ballet world - that's all about him. It doesn't matter whether you love ballet or not, its plasticity fascinates, and its strength delights. He's perfect.

Sergey was born in Kherson, a small town in southern Ukraine. Since the work was tight, dad - Vladimir Polunin - had to constantly leave to work, and mom Galina - alone to raise her son. When Sergei was four, his mother decided to send him to the gymnastics section - he trained for eight hours a day and won exclusively prizes at all competitions. He wanted to be the best. Always be the best.

Nevertheless, the career of a gymnast was soon over - finished when one day his mother asked if he would like to learn to dance. At first, the five-year-old Polunin answered “no,” but then he changed his mind. “In the city where we lived, few people were engaged in dancing, and even about ballet, no one at all heard. But after the first lesson, I firmly decided to become a dancer. " After studying for three years at a dance school, Sergei entered the Kiev Ballet School, and from there, as a thirteen-year-old boy, he entered the London Ballet School. “This is also thanks to my mother and her faith - in me and my success. They tried to dissuade her - they tried to convince her that they did not give a good education in England, and then they would not take me to any theater. But mom always gets her way. As a result, we moved to London, where, after performing before the commission, I was accepted to the Royal Ballet School. "

At school we were not forced to do anything. Of course, it's difficult without pressure, but it teaches us a lot. Now I can work with any choreographer and in any environment - I don't need to be forced, I don't need to be controlled. In England, children are not pulled, nothing is molded from them. There you only need perseverance to develop your talent.

Of the 24 graduates of the school, only two were selected to the troupe of the Royal Ballet - one of the lucky ones was Sergei. Despite the incredible luck, the first time of his stay there was not easy for Polunin - everyone around was much older, and the traditionally negative attitude towards newcomers made itself felt. Nevertheless, a year later, Sergei was transferred from the corps de ballet to soloists, and a year later an unprecedented event for Covent Garden happened - at the age of 19, Polunin became the youngest prime minister of the Royal Ballet.

However, a dizzying career take-off did not make Sergei happy. “I was upset by the lack of freedom of expression - we were forced to perform everything exactly as the choreographer wanted (even if he has been dead for a long time). And I wanted some new solutions, I wanted creativity. I thought becoming a ballet premiere was like becoming a Hollywood star or a football star. But alas, no. I have not experienced any rise, no growth. " And just two years later, Sergei made perhaps the most scandalous act in the history of ballet - he broke the contract with Covent Garden.

What he was not accused of only then - both drug use and inappropriate behavior. The newspapers wrote: "He covers his body with tattoos and sniffs cocaine before going on stage." Later in an interview, Sergei admitted: he was so bad that he deliberately wanted to get injured so that he would never dance again.

My friend and I opened a tattoo parlor in London - I spent all nights there, and in the morning I went to the theater, where I studied at the machine. I liked our boyish company, I liked the atmosphere - it was different from theatrical, where each of himself was building something. Simple, free, strong guys came to our salon, with whom I really liked to communicate.

“I trained six days a week for 11-12 hours a day and received negligible amount. Previously, there was a completely different attitude towards dancers - they were appreciated and respected. They could afford their own home. What are we? We lived like children - three or four people in a room. Sometimes we simply didn’t have enough money to pay for dinner; there was no question of buying our own apartment. A professional soccer player earns in three weeks what a dancer earns in a year at best. At the same time, I was not allowed to collaborate with other dance studios. Everything revolved around competition, not around art, - says Sergey. - But this is wrong. It's not about who is better, but about what you can give to people. In general, there was no unity. I realized that I could not change anything and left. "

The scandal and the loud departure from Covent Garden could not but affect the reputation of Sergei - he was considered unreliable and unpredictable; theaters that had previously offered cooperation no longer wanted to do business with him. The severance of relations with the Royal Ballet also meant the suspension of his work visa - Sergei was forced to leave the UK and look for a new job.

And he chose Russia.

At first Polunin got to St. Petersburg - to the Mariinsky Theater - but it didn't work out there. “In the Mariinsky, I began to prepare Swan Lake, but my condition - physical and psychological - was still difficult. In addition, everyday life was very disturbing: I found myself in an uncomfortable communal room, in which there was not even a microwave oven. " And then he appeared - Igor Zelensky, head of the ballet troupe of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater. After the first meeting, Sergei understood: he wants to work under the guidance of this person. “I didn't know what kind of theater Zelensky had, what repertoire, I was interested in him himself - charismatic and reliable, like a wall. Yes, after moving to Moscow, I also began to feel depressed, but thanks to Igor's support, it quickly passed. " It is worth saying that Polunin's "Moscow" period was incredibly successful - firstly, tickets for performances flew out in a matter of hours, and secondly, he finally became a star. Despite the dizzying success, he has long dreamed of an acting career. And shooting for glossy magazines (in Moscow there was no end to invitations to photo shoots) Sergei himself called the starting point of this career.

What happened next, Sergei could not even dream of - in 2015, together with the legendary photographer David LaChapelle, he shot a video for the super popular song Take me to church. Polunin's plasticity and acting made this video truly "viral" - today it has more than 20 million views. Work on Take Me to Church was a turning point in Polunin's career - he became an actor.

I basically wanted to quit ballet, but David made me change my mind. He gave me freedom - before that I was just a dancer, and he proved to me that in fact I can do more. Basically, I can do whatever I want.

The next important steps for the actor Polunin were filming in the "big" movie - the spy drama "Red Sparrow" with Jennifer Lawrence and "Murder on the Orient Express" by Kenneth Branagh, along with Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer. “I was so scared - I thought I was doing everything badly. A huge wall of doubt has grown in front of me - and if I try and I fail, then what next? Will the dream be destroyed? The unknown is scary, but you have to be brave... Despite the fact that I had never studied acting before and no one told me exactly how I should act, I succeeded. And you know, being an actor is the most wonderful thing in the world. "

But ballet and filming is not the whole life of Sergei. All life is Natalia Osipova, his girlfriend, a beautiful and talented ballerina. “Before, I couldn't sit for more than three days in one place, but she managed to calm me down. Love is the essence of human existence, it is the soil without which it is impossible to stay on your feet. Before Natalia, I never had this soil. And now - after its appearance - everything else is secondary. "

Sergey and Natalya often work together, but despite the feelings that bind them, the joint creative process is not always easy. “When you work together for a long time, you lose respect. The boundaries are blurred, and at some point you catch yourself getting annoyed and swearing in situations where you could restrain yourself. It's not easy, especially if you are physically and psychologically dependent on each other. " In an interview, Sergei said that if he was given one day, which he could spend as he wants, he would prefer to be alone - alone on the ocean shore. True, such days happen extremely rarely.

A week ago, a documentary biographical film "The Dancer" was released in Russia - it was directed by the famous director Stephen Cantor (nominated, among other things, for an Oscar for the best short film "Blood Ties. Photography and the Life of Sally Mann") and produced by the equally famous Gabriella Tana. The result is a very personal, "non-glossy" story about the formation - the formation of a dancer and personality. About pressure, hard work, support from loved ones and loneliness. “Any artist just needs to be alone - without a phone, no sounds and people. This is necessary in order to better understand yourself. There is always the answer inside that you are looking for. You need to trust yourself and do what you want, what you enjoy. "

Sergei Polunin

Ballet dancer.

Studied at the Kiev Choreographic School (teachers E. B. Kostyukov, T. M. Martynenko, N. D. Pryadchenko). At the age of 13, with the support of the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation, he moved to London to study at the Royal Ballet School.

2007 - January 2012 - Premier of the Royal Ballet in London, Great Britain (in the 2012-2013 season - guest soloist). In 2012-2014 - the premier of the Moscow Musical Theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko (since 2014 - guest soloist) and guest soloist of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater. Since 2016 - guest soloist of the Bavarian Ballet (Munich, Germany).

theatrical works

Royal Ballet, London:
Chevalier des Grieux in Manon, directed by Kenneth Macmillan

The Nutcracker Prince - The Nutcracker by P. I. Tchaikovsky
Prince Desir - "The Sleeping Beauty" by P. Tchaikovsky
Armand - "Margarita and Armand" directed by Frederick Ashton
Aminta in Sylvia directed by Frederick Ashton
Prince - "Cinderella" S. S. Prokofiev
Rhapsody by Frederick Ashton
Wolf- "Peter and the Wolf" S. Prokofiev
The Knave of Hearts - Alice in Wonderland directed by Christopher Wheeldon

Moscow Musical Theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko:
Franz - "Coppelia" by Roland Petit (Swanilda - Christina Shapran)
Basilio - Don Quixote by L. Minkus, choreography by Alexander Gorsky, revised version by Alexei Chichinadze
Count Albert - "Giselle" by A. Adam
Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake directed by Vladimir Burmeister
Rudolph - "Mayerling" by Kenneth MacMillan
Solor - La Bayadere by L. Minkus staged by Natalia Makarova
Other Dances to music by Fryderyk Chopin, choreography by Jerome Robbins
Frederick Ashton's Ballets: soloist, Rhapsody; Arman, "Margarita and Arman"

Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater:
Lucien - Grand Pas from the ballet Paquita. Choreography by Marius Petipa, production by Igor Zelensky and Yana Serebryakova
Spartacus in A. Khachaturian's Spartacus, choreography by Yuri Grigorovich
Ali - Le Corsaire by A. Adam, choreography by Marius Petipa and Pyotr Gusev, revised version by Khomyakov and Zelensky

prizes and awards

2001 - prize-winner of the dance competition in "Artek"
2002 - prize-winner of the competition "Youth of the Ballet"
2002 - Prize-winner at the Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition, Kiev
2006 - Scholarship and Audience Award at the Lausanne Prize ballet competition, Switzerland
2006 - Winner of the Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition, New York
2006 - Gold Medal at the Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition, Kiev
2007 - the title of "Young Dancer of the Year" (UK)
2010 - National Critics "Circle National Dance Awards" Most Promising Dancer
2011 - Critics "Circle National Dance Awards" Best Classical Dancer
2012 - Winner of the Bolshoi Ballet competition on the Culture TV channel in the Best Dancer nomination
2014 - prize of the magazine "Ballet" "Soul of Dance" in the nomination "Star"

At 19 he was the youngest premier of the English Royal Ballet, at 22 he left the famous troupe and moved to the Moscow Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater. At 25, he left this theater and set off on a free flight, becoming more and more interested in cinema, and not ballet, which does not prevent him from gathering fans from all over the world for the now rare performances in Novosibirsk and Munich. Now he is 27; in the next two years, three Hollywood films with his participation will be released, where he is busy in small but important roles. The Dancer is a closer look at how a talented person becomes a ballet superstar and how cramped for him in the theater. The truth about ballet as it is. talked with the main character about working in cinematography, problems in the theater and improvisations in life.

"Lenta.ru": The film is called The Dancer. Just "Dancer", no name. That Sergei Polunin, whom we see on the screen, is this you or is it a character in a work of art?

Polunin: This is, of course, how the director and producer see me. And I did not want to impose my own opinion, I did not participate, for example, in the editing of the film. It was interesting to me: how do people see me from the outside? And when I watched The Dancer in its entirety ... The story turned out to be true. I saw a lot as if for the first time: I did not know that there were some children's records, footage, when I was little. After all, you forget some moments of childhood - you don't want to remember them. And when I was looking, sitting in an armchair, I grabbed someone's leg next to me, because I began to emotionally relive some moments anew. Therefore, I cannot assess from a distance whether I really am the way other people see me.

You are a world star in ballet, but on screen you are a debutant. How comfortable are you in the world of cinema?

I am comfortable with the camera, I come alive when the camera is present. At first it was very unusual and not that scary, but ... you know, such a strange feeling - you sit and think, should you be here at all? When the legendary actors are nearby ... I have a poster of the movie "Scarface" hanging at my house, and on the set of "Murders on the Orient Express" (a new version of the detective will be released in November 2017 - approx. "Lenta.ru") I suddenly discover that she is sitting next to her, but opposite -! But I quickly adapted. I had to learn everything - literally holding a glass when the camera passes by - but I watched my colleagues and learned from them. And I used the same method that I used in ballet - after all, on stage I never think over a part in detail. I go on stage and act on my intuition. Yes, if you are a prince, you will not run stupidly around the stage - the position obliges, but some details depend on the mood. As a partner will look at you, how will suit you - you start from this. I did the same in the movies. I came to the set, not knowing what would be filming that day, where would you find yourself - maybe at the train station? In Murder on the Orient Express - Turkey, 30s of the twentieth century, and I tried to just feel the atmosphere in which I am. And I did everything unprepared and intuitively, because I just didn't know how to prepare. From the very beginning - from viewing to a role, it was my first viewing in my life. The situation was not like “we just want you,” but people needed to understand if I could even talk in the frame. It was very difficult for self-esteem.

In recent films, when it comes to ballet, the theme of intrigue and problems in the theater is often heard. To what extent has this been present in your life?

I try to avoid gossip and intrigue. I just feel physically ill when some whispers begin. People in the theater are very good, bright, but yes - there is a lot of negativity, and it arises from the fact that everyone is fighting for the same role. 150 or 200 people are targeting the same position, at any time you can be given a role and a role to be taken away - in such a situation it is difficult for everyone, both the artists and the leaders of the troupe. It turns out not teamwork, but every man for himself. Therefore, I would like the ballet to be like an opera in Europe: for each performance, a cast of artists is assembled, each has his own contract. To do the same in ballet - for example, in "Giselle" to prescribe to everyone who will play what role, who is the count, who is the peasant. So that everyone knows everything. This is what they do in the opera, they do it in the cinema - and only in ballet there is some kind of porridge-malasha.

When you were on the staff of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater, your colleagues often said that they did not see you in the rehearsal halls. Do you really go on stage without rehearsals?

I don’t rehearse, but I practice at the bench, do the class every day. That is, I did not have such that I miss a day without working out. But repeating the same role is so boring. I go out to my solo and dance it differently every time - the audience sees it for the first time, and for myself this solo comes as a surprise. Sometimes I may not remember a role for one and a half or two years, and then just go on stage and think: will it work or will it not work? It fuels my interest in the scene. I’m probably lucky: my body remembers well. If I've learned something, then I don't have to repeat to reproduce. So I just listen to my body. In one thing, of course, I was wrong: I did not consider how much my partner likes to work. That is, I thought: if I don’t need to repeat, then she don’t need to. It was a mistake.

In the cinema without preparation, in the theater without rehearsals, but in general life as such - is it some kind of built plan for you or is it always an improvisation?

I think it's better to improvise. It is more correct to trust life, trust the cosmos, which will give you the way and the right people. And I believe that if you trust life, it cannot be that it will not direct you at the right moment. There is no need to think over everything in advance - I do not understand people whose schedule is scheduled for three years in advance. You don't leave life a chance to surprise you. And I don’t know where I’ll be in four days. In Tibet, the worldview is the same: live - and life itself will give you the right opportunities.

It was announced a few months ago that you will be returning to the Royal Ballet in June, but you have just given up those performances. Ballet lovers in London are just crying. Why is this happening - why are you rejecting the already promised performances?

It's not why I refuse. The problem is why I agree. Here's the mistake. When you start thinking with your head and not with your heart, when you don’t listen to yourself, you suddenly agree to some things. And the closer the event, the better you feel that it is not worth doing. And a moment arises when neither your conscience nor your heart allow you to do something, and your head has already agreed six months ago. I promised myself from now on to always listen to what my heart says, and always trust my intuition, and not ponder whether it will be good or bad. Then such situations will not arise.

Your mini-ballet Take Me To Church has been watched by over 19 million people on YouTube. Are you going to continue to work on such small stories for the web?

Yes, we are trying to find the right approach, and there are interesting ideas, one of which I want to implement in Russia. But I want it to be natural, because there was a proposal to make a series with a major label, take some songs, consistently put dances on them. But when the sequence is set, it is no longer art, I would not want to work like that. The situation should develop naturally.

"We are trying" ... "We" is who?

My team, with which I did Project Polunin in London in March: producer Gabriel Tana, lawyer David Banks, who handles all the paperwork, my assistant, who is not just an assistant, she does everything that is necessary - looking for the right people, for example. And my friends, whom you see in the movie The Dancer, are also part of the project. I am gathering a group of people who love dance and want to promote it, who will do not only me, but other dancers as well. I want to create my own foundation to promote dance, to make films about dance, to shoot ballets - like, for example, but shoot not as a broadcast of a performance, but as a film. I am looking for funds and helpers for this business. The artistic director of the Bavarian Opera Ballet helps me a lot - he is a bright person, he is like a father to many dancers and really loves dance.

Now "Dancer" is being released, where we can see you dancing, then there will be other films that have absolutely nothing to do with ballet. Is there a chance to see you at the theater?

Yes, about next spring. We will collaborate with director Grigory Dobrygin. I recently went to a play about Brodsky and this is what I realized: yes, ballet is an energetically very powerful thing, but drama is something more personal, more chamber. At the same time, in London at the ballet, sometimes the standing ovation lasts 40 minutes, and in the drama theater, the artists took one bow and dispersed. But when drama and ballet are combined, it can be a very powerful mixture. I want to try something like that. In a small space - theater and dance.

December 23, 2015 3:31 pm

First, a few different photos of my beloved Polunin

Little is known about Sergei's personal life. One of his beloved Sergei dedicated the tattoo "Forgive me, tiger", because she left him, and he hoped in this way to return her;)

For two years he dated a British ballerina Helen Crawford(who is 9 years older than him), she was his first serious hobby, but after Helen expressed a desire to have children, Sergei decided that it would be easier and more honest if they broke up.

A year ago, some time ago, Polunin appeared in society with an aspiring ballerina. Yulia Stolyarchuk.

And this summer Seryoga made another tattoo: "NATASHA" on the back of his hand.

The tattoo is dedicated to Polunin's new girlfriend - Natalia Osipova.

I don't know when they met, but they got together in early 2015 when they were rehearsing "Giselle" at La Scala.

From Natalia's interview:

culture: Your duet with Polunin is a sensation. The favorites of the Moscow public have joined. How did you meet?
Osipova: At La Scala, when Giselle was danced. The show was planned with David Holberg, one of my favorite partners. But he has a serious injury, he is being treated for the second season and was unable to perform. I had to urgently look for a partner. Of course, I saw Seryozha on stage many times, I always admired him, and it was interesting to try to dance with him. Our duet has not yet taken shape, because we are just starting to work together.

culture: You refuse to answer questions about your personal life, but Seryozha got a new tattoo with your name ...
Osipova: He made it after we met. It shocked me at first. I didn't expect this. But, of course, it's nice to know that you are important to the one you love.

culture: Do relationships in life help on stage?
Osipova: They help me - I absolutely trust Seryozha, I give him the palm. He is a man, he leads ... We have been together for about six months, and it is a great pleasure for us to be close.

culture: With your temperament, it is difficult to imagine you being guided ...
Osipova: This is also a big and pleasant surprise for me. But in this situation, nothing bothers my ego, on the contrary, I obey Seryozha with great pleasure - both at rehearsals and on stage. In work, we always consult, talk a lot and decide everything together.

culture: Sergei Polunin told our readers that he dreamed of combining ballet and cinema. Project Polunin is now starting. Are you taking part in it?
Osipova: No, the project is not associated with me. I have my own job, Seryozha has his own. But there is a desire to work together as often as possible. Seryozha has a lot of great ideas, and I hope that everything will work out. If he needs my help, I am always there.

For the first time, fans spotted them in June, when after the play "Giselle", where Sergei danced together with Svetlana Zakharova, Natalya Osipova was waiting for him.

Since then, they began to appear together at social events and give joint interviews.

In November, the couple announced their relationship at a press conference:

The Royal Ballet's prima ballerina and the ballet's bad boy put an end to the rumor of relationships when they announced their participation in a contemporary dance program at Sanders Wells next year.
Two ballet superstars Natalya Osipova and Sergei Polunin will dance together on a contemporary dance program in London, which sparked additional excitement after admitting that they are also a couple in life.

The couple's relationship has been the subject of numerous rumors in the ballet world. On Thursday, they put an end to these rumors: yes, they are a couple and passionately want to dance together as often as possible.

Polunin said: “ At the moment it is quite difficult, for some reason the big theaters are trying to divide us. They do their best to keep us from dancing together. We are fighting against this. It is very important for artists to have real feelings for each other on stage.", - he said and added that when he dances with another partner, he always imagines Osipova. " It is very difficult at the moment, but I hope that in the future we will dance together much more often.».

Earlier this year, Osipova and Polunin have already danced Giselle together at La Scala in Milan, but since they became a couple, they have not danced it anymore, and it is obvious that this is very upsetting for Polunin.
« It's not just us, it's always a problem, and I don't understand why when people want to dance together, the directors do their best to keep them apart. I think it's just easier to control people..»

And as you know, Sergey is a fighter with any restrictions, and no one will be able to control him)))

Next - pictures from social networks:

Sergey's birthday Summer vacation on the Hudson With fans:

With Sergey's mom:

And a photo with Vadim Vernik, who filmed this program here:

In the coming 2016, Osipova and Polunin plan to dance in London the main parts in a new ballet based on the play by T. Williams "A Streetcar Named Desire".

A student of the Kiev State Choreographic School Sergei Polunin became the youngest premiere in the history of the Royal Ballet in London. I did not like it in England - I returned to Russia, where now the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater soars to the ceiling.

Due to the fact that all of Polunin's childhood was devoted to ballet, and this, as you know, is the hardest work, he grew up not a very sociable boy. Sergei himself says that it is his isolation that makes it possible to best convey the feelings of romantic and lonely characters on stage. This is also facilitated by the extraordinary appearance of our hero.

The personal life of Sergei Polunin is closely connected with ballet - it is probably impossible otherwise, because every premier literally lives in the theater, completely devoting himself to his beloved work. But this is not the only reason why representatives of this art try to stick together ... When Sergei lived in London, he met with the ballerina from the Royal Ballet Helen Crawford, but it was time to leave for Russia, and he decided to part with the girl. The dancer himself says that he is attracted exclusively to ballerinas: “You get used to the ballet standard. And all the other women seem strange - there are not enough muscles here and there. "

Now Polunin lives in a small apartment in the center of Moscow, next to the theater, whether alone or not is unknown. He does not like to talk about his personal life, and nevertheless does not hide that things are not very good with this. In an interview with Mickey Rourke for Interview magazine, Sergei noted with some irony: "My reputation is not very good, so it's difficult with girls."

- Is it true that you want to leave ballet at the age of twenty-six or twenty-seven?

- I do not know yet. Although twenty-six is, in my opinion, a good number. I only know that you have to go on stage only when you feel a burst of adrenaline in your blood. Therefore, I hate to rehearse for a long time, to warm up. Everything should be like the first time, when some surprise awaits you, when you don't know what will happen the next minute and how it will all end. Only then do I enjoy being on stage.

Otherwise, what's the point in all this?

- Glory, success, money ...

- Freedom is more expensive.