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by Paul Webb
TheatreNow.com
London, UK
January 17, 2003
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Ivan Putrov starred in Scenes de Ballet and Sinfonietta at the Royal Opera
House last night, 16th January. Born in Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine, he
is the Royal Ballet's fastest-rising star.
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Putrov's image is well-known. He's the cover boy for current Royal Opera
House programme, and his image - half naked, holding a pose against a
background of the conservatory that makes such a spectacular new foyer for
the Opera House - has been a striking one on posters all over the tube.
His background, however, is as interesting as his looks. At a time when
Russians are making an impact in the theatre world (as with Vassily Sigarev,
the young author of Plasticene, whose next play, Black Milk, opens at the
Royal Court on 4th February) and in a year when Rudolph Nureyev has been
remembered in books and a season at the NFT, Ivan Putrov is a further
example of East European talent taking London by storm. Theatrenow went to
meet him.
How long have you been in England? "Quite a while! I won the Prix de
Lausanne and the Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in 1996, as a
result of which I was offered the chance to study at the Royal Ballet School
the following year. I joined the Royal Ballet itself in 1998. So I've had
plenty of time to learn English.
"On the other hand, there's an old Russian proverb that roughly translated
means 'If you want to seem more intelligent than you are, then keep your
mouth shut'. So there's something to be said for not being entirely at home
in a foreign language!"
Do you come from a dance background? "Yes. Both my parents were dancers -
though my father is now a photographer. So you could say theatre was in my
blood."
Is it fair to say that ballet is much more accepted in Russia and the
Ukraine than it is in England. There isn't a Billy Elliot cultural problem
with boys going into ballet? "Well, I can't comment on Billy Elliot as I
must be one of the few people not to have seen it! There's certainly a lot
more national pride in dance and our achievements in the dance world, than
there is in England.
"But although ballet is an acceptable career among boys, it isn't something
that most boys would naturally consider. Even though I come from a dance
background I had to be persuaded to take lessons by my mother. But once I
started I loved it!"
Speaking of national pride, how do people in the Ukraine react to your
having come over here, first as a student and now as a Principal of the
Royal Ballet? "I think there's a certain resentment in some quarters, but it
was the right career decision for me. I visit Kiev, and I dance there as
well. I'm very proud of my roots there.
"Of course the situation is a lot easier than under the Soviet Union, when
you couldn't just choose to live abroad. You had to defect, like Nureyev and
Baryshnikov, and that was a much bigger deal."
Kiev has a very strong dance tradition? "Yes! Nijinsky's family came from
this area, and so did Serge Lifar [a star of the Ballets Russes who went on
to be a major influence in French ballet world]. And so do I!"
English audiences probably aren't all that clear on the difference between
Ukraine and Russia... "Kiev is the birthplace of Russia - we're the original
Russians! Some of us left Kiev and moved to what became Moscow to
avoid the Mongols, and founded what is now Russia - but we were around
first."
You've been quoted as saying one reason you came here was to be able to
dance in new ballets. Have you ever thought of trying choreography yourself?
"Not at this stage of my career. I'm 22 years old, and I want to concentrate
on dancing, on doing the best that I can as a dancer.
"Being promoted to Principal last year was great. Not in terms of 'status'
but for the opportunity to dance a wider range of roles."
Do you have any roles you'd particularly like to dance? Or favourites among
those you have done? "Des Grieux in Manon, and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet
are two roles I'd like to dance at the Royal Opera House. I enjoyed Le
Spectre
de la rose, which was a role that Nijinsky created. Albrecht in Giselle is
another wonderful part. I'd also love to dance Armand in Marguerite and
Armand."
London is the theatre capital of the world. Is it also an important ballet
centre? "Certainly more so than Kiev! We have the occasional company visit
us there, like Ballet Rambert, but in London you get so many internationally
known companies, and great dancers like Mikhail Baryshnikov.
"I admire him because he wants people to value him for the work he is doing
now, rather than celebrating what he achieved when he was young. I'm too
young to have seen Nureyev dance, but his Foundation paid my scholarship
here, and helps young dancers from Eastern Europe to study and work in the
West. It's good that in a way his name and his art live on, that he'll
always be remembered with gratitude for that as well as for his dancing.
"I'm happy to have got where I am but I'm looking forward to learning more,
as a dancer and as an actor. The more interesting lead roles involve a lot
of acting. You don't just come on as a Prince with one set expression and
dance. You have to convey a wide range of emotions in the course of the
piece - Romeo is a good example of this - and I'm looking forward to the
challenge of playing these parts in the future!"
Ivan Putrov is dancing in a variety of roles at the Royal Opera House this
season. For further details contact the box office on 020 7304 4000.
TheatreNow.com, London, UK, January 17, 2003
http://www.theatrenow.com/asp/link.htm?news.asp?art=4473&cat=1
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