MOSCOW : Moscow's Bolshoi theatre has dropped a contemporary ballet about the legendary Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev from its repertoire following the expansion of a ban on "LGBT propaganda".
A law passed in November not only widened an existing prohibition on material considered to promote an LGBT lifestyle but also restricts the "demonstration" of LGBT behaviour.
This makes any portrayal of homosexuality - such as Nureyev's relationships with men after his defection from the Soviet Union in 1961, which the ballet touches on - almost impossible.
The ballet, choreographed by Kirill Serebrennikov, has had a troubled history in Russia, where President Vladimir Putin has long promoted conservative values as part of a nationalist agenda backed by the Russian Orthodox Church.
It premiered in December 2017, several months late, after the then-culture minister reportedly called it gay propaganda, and has not been performed since 2018. Performances scheduled for 2022 were abruptly cancelled after Serebrennikov publicly blamed Russia for the conflict in Ukraine.
"'Nureyev' was removed from the repertoire in connection with the law ... where issues related to the promotion of 'non-traditional values' are stipulated absolutely unequivocally," Vladimir Urin, general director of the Bolshoi, told a news conference on Wednesday.
Serebrennikov, one of Russia's leading film, theatre and television directors and stage designers, made his frustration clear.
"This criminal 'law' was passed specifically against this show and against several books... Well, OK..." he wrote on his Telegram channel, adding three rainbows - an LGBT symbol.
Serebrennikov has himself fallen foul of Russian authorities.
He was detained in 2017 and held in house arrest for almost two years, to the outrage of Russia's liberal cultural establishment, before being given a suspended sentence in 2020 on charges of embezzling a state subsidy. After he repaid the sum, the sentence was cancelled last year.
(Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Alex Richardson)
What's your reaction?
You may also like
-
![Experience World-Class Ballet Training at Koltun Ballet Boston's Summer Intensive Program]()
Experience World-Class Ballet Training at Koltun Ballet Boston's Summer Intensive Program
-
![US ballet theater returns to China after a decade]()
US ballet theater returns to China after a decade
-
![U.S. ballet troupe back in China after 10 years]()
U.S. ballet troupe back in China after 10 years
-
![New U.S. Quarter Honors Maria Tallchief, America's First Prima Ballerina]()
New U.S. Quarter Honors Maria Tallchief, America's First Prima Ballerina
-
![Elevate Your Dance Business with AOS List: Unleashing Intrapreneurial Moves]()
Elevate Your Dance Business with AOS List: Unleashing Intrapreneurial Moves
-
![Glasgow dance classes helping people with Parkinson's make friends and reconnect with themselves]()
Glasgow dance classes helping people with Parkinson's make friends and reconnect with themselves
Comments
0 comment