The Russian ballets are no longer at the forefront of cultural diplomacy

During the Cold War, classical dance was a golden bridge connecting the USSR to the West. Heads of state visiting Moscow were regularly invited to the Bolshoi, a stone’s throw from the Kremlin, to see the best Russian dancers, such as Galina Ulanova and Maia Plisetskaya. The latter had said that she felt like a bird in a golden cage, exhibited for the pleasure of visiting dignitaries. But if the ballet was one of the few things shared by leaders on both sides of the Iron Curtain, events in recent days suggest that this bond between Russia and the West may be fading.

The Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theater Ballets [à Saint-Pétersbourg] perform regularly abroad since the first performance given in the West, in London, in October 1956. But this will not be the case this year. The Bolshoi’s planned summer season at the Royal Opera House [de Londres] was canceled even before its official announcement. The 84-date UK tour by the smaller Siberian Ballet was halted at the end of February with nine dates remaining.

Ensemble Productions, organizers of the annual dance gala “Ballet Icons Gala”, which was due to take place on March 13 at the Coliseum Theater in London, has removed all Russian dancers from the programme. The latter had however issued a press release to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, declaring without ambiguity that they refused to “working for Russian government organizations.” The Coliseum still canceled

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Graham Watts

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The Spectator (London)

“The Spectator” is an institution of the British press. Founded in 1828, it is the reference newspaper for conservative intellectuals and leaders, but also for Eurosceptics: The Spectator supported the exit from the European Union during the 2016 referendum. Renowned for his analyzes and his incisive tone, he has belonged since 1989 to the same group as The Daily Telegraph.

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