#chudin

Do you know why Chudin wasn't allowed to train with Tsiskaridze when he first joined BT?

I’m not sure whether that was actually the case or just hearsay. At the time that Chudin joined the Bolshoi, Tsiskaridze was well and truly persona non grata. He was at war with the Bolshoi’s management and the latter was trying to isolate him from his students, his teacher and his colleagues. It would make sense for the managers to warn Chudin to steer clear of Tsiskaridze if he wanted to have an actual career wit the company.

Ksenia Zhiganshina is debuting princess Aurora on February 1st!

Thank you.

In your post about the Grad performance, it said act 2 was "congratulations from the following schools". What does that mean?

I’m very much hoping that this section will include performances by the representatives from those schools. VBA performed at a similar gala in France last year, so it would make sense.

Do ballerinas have to be taller than 160 cm? Do you know how tall for example Elya Sevenard is?

It really depend on who you ask. In general, I believe that shorter (or taller) than average ballerinas can struggle to get roles. There are, of course, exceptions. Maria Kochetkova is only 152cm tall, while Alena Kovaleva is around 180cm tall, and her height isn’t slowing her down. I think Elya is 165-167cm tall.

Good interview. Sharing the link for the masses.

Have you ever seen Dance Academy?

Nope. I actually dislike modern ballet TV series, reality shows and films, and never watch them. The last thing I watched was “Black Swan” back in 2010.

How old is Semyon Chudin?

35-ish? He graduated in 2003 and must have been around 18 at the time of his graduation.

Do you have any opinions about Sergei Polunin being in Kenneth Branagh's 'Murder On The Orient Express?' I for one am incredibly excited!

Oh boy... sorry but you ain’t gonna like my response. I dislike Polunin and was actually really annoyed to see him in the trailer. The only thing that annoys me more is that mustache... They completely butchered Poirot’s look! Back to Polunin: he should be spending this time in class, not a film set. Oh well, he’s determined to become a celebrity.

What do you think of Joy Womack?

Please read my previous response here and here.

Why are ballerinas generally so underpaid despite being very celebrated in Russia? I wish they made celebrity money lol, they're far more impressive after all.

I honestly don’t know what to tell you, except that that is a global problem and doesn’t only affect Russia. People in the Arts sector aren’t generally that well paid.

Hello, I ABSOLUTELY love your blog! I see you have a tumblr and instagram account. Any possibility of a Facebook acct in future? So all of us could add comments etc :)

Thank you! I have actually seriously considered creating a Facebook page in the past, and have been thinking a bit about it recently. The problem is that running these social media accounts well takes time and effort. I am already struggling with demand and don’t want to spread myself any thinner. 

Plus, this blog, Twitter and Instagram all have slightly different agendas / purposes and are run slightly differently to reflect that - this means extra work. I’m not sure if there will even be a demand for a Facebook page or how / what kind of content I would present there.

Semyon Chudin and Olga Smirnova in Yuri Grigorovich’s Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House, Coven Garden, London