Today’s beautiful place is the magnificently proportioned barn in which the tortured and tattooed Sergei Polunin lays bare his struggle as he comes to terms with his prodigious talent and all it asks of him.
Today’s beautiful place is the magnificently proportioned barn in which the tortured and tattooed Sergei Polunin lays bare his struggle as he comes to terms with his prodigious talent and all it asks of him.
Driven hard by his mother, Polunin started dancing in the Ukraine at age of 4 and left his family at age 13 to dance with the Royal Ballet School. He became the youngest principal dancer within a year of joining the Royal Ballet before resigning two years later due to burn out. Directed by David LaChapelle, the dance reflects the exquisite skill and endurance of Polunin while capturing his torment as he reconciles himself with his extraordinary gift.
Mirroring the dichotomy within Polunin – the barn space is stunning in both structure and form while empty and cool inside. Unadorned and full of potential, the inherent beauty of the space demands our attention. We’re immediately aware of both the shadow and light within the space which reflects the duality within Polunin; his anguish is evident throughout the dance but so is his brilliance.
The dance is not perfectly executed but it’s through the very rawness of Polunin’s performance that his pain, his strength and his vulnerability shine through, just as the rawness of this magnificent building that appeals to us. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPcefi56Tks for the four minute video.
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