 |
| Sergei Polunin captured here with Royal Ballet Principle Dancer, Tamara Rojo |
"I always had a medal, every competition, and then I got ill for a month and a half. When I came back, people who were not even close to being as good as me overtook me in competitions and I just changed – I was like 'I don't want to do it any more.'"
"What's the point of being below people? So from there on I was like, if I'm not good enough, do something else, if you don't enjoy something, change it."
Sergei Polunin the ex-Royal Ballet Superstar that at a whim walked out of a rehearsal, out the Company’s front doors declaring he’d never dance again. Later, seen performing in “Men in Motion” with fellow dancer, Ivan Putrov and has been reinstated a new working Visa, intent on choosing his own performances and freelancing it seems. The Guardian has the latest interview with the star where he has openly declared he will quit ballet by the age of 26.
Look at that paragraph at the beginning of this post – remarks by Sergei to The Guardian. That’s a direct indication of his character and the fact that from where I am sitting, says to me that the little shit has too much of an ego and no work ethic. His interview demonstrates how this kid has no regard for rehearsal and yes, whilst everyone will agree the electrifying experience of dancing on stage is so much more exciting and pleasurable than slaving away in the studio – how the bloody hell do you think you are going to be able to pull off that flawless performance without the required rehearsal time?
Of course what Sergei suffers from is what I call a perfection-complex. Not the search for perfection – no. The kid believes he already is perfect. And why wouldn’t you if you are being touted by critics to be the next, Rudolf Nureyev? How would your ego not get a boost? But what Sergei suffers from is an egotism so blinding it actually confirms to him that he does not need to rehearse for hours to look good on stage. Yes he is physically gifted – but Sylvie Guillem said it oh so well so many many years ago. Yes it’s good to have a gift, but if you do not use the gift efficiently and work hard at it or apply solid work ethic behind perfecting your performance you will not create or achieve great things. She said it in her own way mixing it with an analogy on baking a cake – but it makes sense. You can be supremely gifted Sergei, but if you just use the gift by itself without any additional work or motivation to further oneself, then you become stagnant and you risk being stagnant. His story about his gymnastic past says it all. What is the point of continuing if you are not the best? Bloody well go back to the drawing board, re-assess, make a new strategic plan and work harder so you can topple your competitors. Don't just "give up" which is essentially what he did - and what he had done again by walking out on the Royal Ballet.
I’m a little tired of Polunin and the news reports of his career journey outside the Royal. He’s a gifted dancer, but he’s spoilt, has no work ethic and a ridiculous ego. He has no grit behind him, no spunk. He doesn't possess that go out there and claim the prize attitude that is so attractive. He's the, give up when the going gets tough kind of guy...
For me – that is not interesting.
That’s just obnoxious.
No comments:
Post a Comment