Quo vadis Vadim?

[The Sitter In]

With Muntagirov entering what might just be his ‘golden period’ of dancing when technique, strength, experience and artistry come together, am I alone in despairing that the Royal Ballet will be giving him next to nothing to do this coming season?

Not cast in Alice, highly unlikely to appear in the contemporary bill (perhaps the least appealing offering of recent years) or Maddadam, he has a few Cinderellas in December and then is not cast in Onegin and won’t be in Light of Passage. He will have to wait for R&J and, one assumes, the Balanchine bill in March…

Given he could have the pick of companies around the world, who would blame him if he started to contemplate a move? Either that or he just ramps up the guesting abroad, does a longer residency or takes a sabbatical. Amsterdam is not far and has hoovered up some impressive artists in recent years - Allen, Smirnova and Tissi - and currently has a far more interesting rep. 

But what a waste of a such a dancer who, let’s be honest, comes around maybe once a generation. The Royal may well only realise what they had once they have lost it and a dancer’s professional life is short…

[Minxette]

How old is he?

[Silver Capricorn]

5 minutes ago, Minxette said:

How old is he?

He turned 34 in April.

[San Perregrino]

Alongside his unquestionable dancing ability, Vadim being a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet must add to his kudos and earning potential as an ´export’. Good for both him and the RBO. (The home ballet audiences sadly miss out).

Are there any other companies around the world the same reputation and standing that he could move to? Only a few I’d say and probably not with the flexibility he enjoys today.
Forum members bemoan his not being cast in the first performances of Onegin. I would think that, external factors aside including the Cranko Estate, with his position, if Vadim had wanted to dance in these it would have happened. He may have decided to wait until the second run of performances or he may even have decided that Onegin isn’t a role that he wants to dance. 
The same for all other ballets danced by the RB. I’d like to think that Vadim is given the chance to dance in everything. If he decides not that is his prerogative and our loss as it would be good to see him evolve and do something different as he ages.

I haven’t read his book, but comments on here by forum members suggested that Vadim himself doesn’t see himself dancing forever. Is the end even now on the horizon? Perhaps the endless galas and guesting around the globe are helping him build a nest egg for the future.

 

[Balletfanp]

Well, this is a gloomy topic!

 

Regarding Onegin, I spoke to him about that at the stage door a couple of months ago and he seemed to think he would be doing it and also seemed keen.

 

I think maybe too much is being read into his lack of casting at this point. This was always going to be a thin season for him with a lot of contemporary works. The other two works in the winter casting fall into that category and it’s possible that those dancing Onegin in this early run may have commitments later, hence they’ve been cast now rather than later. I hasten to add I have no knowledge about this, it’s just my musings.

 

I think it’s rather premature to suggest that he might be “winding down” - he is still at the height of his dancing powers and is starting to really come into his own acting-wise. Of course he doesn’t see himself as dancing forever - no dancer does. Plus, as pointed out, he has a lot of flexibility at the RBO and there aren’t many companies with a reputation to match his. As things stand he can’t consider returning to Russia.

 

His book referred to dancers not being able to carry on forever and he is obviously very conscious of that, but there was no hint that he would be stopping any time soon. He has also mentioned in interviews post-pandemic that he wants to dance as much as he possibly can whilst he can, hence all the guesting and galas. With the number of Principals now at the RB, he would never be able to dance as much as he wants if he just remained here.

Edited August 30 by Balletfanp
Amendment

[oncnp]

For all we know he is perfectly happy with the situation and this casting (or lack of) may be to accommodate him.  Or he's adopting the Melissa Hamilton model 

 

I would guess he is smart enough to know that with O'Hare moving the RB to a more contemporary focus (which, so far, he doesn't want to dance) and O'Hare's everybody-gets-to-be-a-Principal promotion strategy, there will be fewer opportunities at the RB. His classical repertoire will always be in demand when some/many/most (choose as appropriate) of this season's contemporary offerings will be forgotten. The sun is shining, and he is making hay.  With apologies to Dame Judi Dench...Siegfried - the man who pays the bills.

 

As for trying new things he is dipping one of those long, elegant toes into choreography with a Sleeping Beauty pdd with the Cape Town City ballet this weekend. 

 

Small upside for me  is that it will save a small fortune in travel expenses and Friend's membership. 

Edited August 30 by oncnp

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, San Perregrino said:

Alongside his unquestionable dancing ability, Vadim being a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet must add to his kudos and earning potential as an ´export’. Good for both him and the RBO. (The home ballet audiences sadly miss out).

Are there any other companies around the world the same reputation and standing that he could move to? Only a few I’d say and probably not with the flexibility he enjoys today.
Forum members bemoan his not being cast in the first performances of Onegin. I would think that, external factors aside including the Cranko Estate, with his position, if Vadim had wanted to dance in these it would have happened. He may have decided to wait until the second run of performances or he may even have decided that Onegin isn’t a role that he wants to dance. 
The same for all other ballets danced by the RB. I’d like to think that Vadim is given the chance to dance in everything. If he decides not that is his prerogative and our loss as it would be good to see him evolve and do something different as he ages.

I haven’t read his book, but comments on here by forum members suggested that Vadim himself doesn’t see himself dancing forever. Is the end even now on the horizon? Perhaps the endless galas and guesting around the globe are helping him build a nest egg for the future.

 

NYCB, SFB, ABT, Stuttgart?

 

I would assume the freedom he has to guest depends on his contract with the RB and I assume he enjoys guesting in the same way that Cojocaru and Kobborg did.

 

 

[JaneHartley]

36 minutes ago, Balletfanp said:

I think it’s rather premature to suggest that he might be “winding down” 

 

In reality how many male dancers are at their prime in their late 30s? How many in their early forties? Particularly given his strength is classical ballet. In reality we have probably only 4ish peak years and maybe a few more beyond that at the highest level. This is just a fact of human biology. Vadim has been very lucky injury wise too so far, but as he ages, the risk will go up there too. 

I doubt he would move, he is too settled here, it gives him a good platform to guest elsewhere when he wants. 

 

However, this season has been a complete waste of the RBs classical dancers. More pressingly, they have essentially discarded half a season of Nunez when she is 42 and has probably even fewer seasons left to her

[Paco]

2 hours ago, The Sitter In said:

With Muntagirov entering what might just be his ‘golden period’ of dancing when technique, strength, experience and artistry come together, am I alone in despairing that the Royal Ballet will be giving him next to nothing to do this coming season?

Not cast in Alice, highly unlikely to appear in the contemporary bill (perhaps the least appealing offering of recent years) or Maddadam, he has a few Cinderellas in December and then is not cast in Onegin and won’t be in Light of Passage. He will have to wait for R&J and, one assumes, the Balanchine bill in March…

Given he could have the pick of companies around the world, who would blame him if he started to contemplate a move? Either that or he just ramps up the guesting abroad, does a longer residency or takes a sabbatical. Amsterdam is not far and has hoovered up some impressive artists in recent years - Allen, Smirnova and Tissi - and currently has a far more interesting rep. 

But what a waste of a such a dancer who, let’s be honest, comes around maybe once a generation. The Royal may well only realise what they had once they have lost it and a dancer’s professional life is short…

Disagree regarding Amsterdam, which also has a rather poor season this year compared to previous seasons: once DQ autumn run and Nutcracker run at Xmas are finished, there will be Jewels in winter and that's all. 2024-2025 season at Dutch National Ballet is more contemporary-oriented than usual. RB offers much more opportunities for a classical / neo-classical dancer, even in 2024-2025 (though I agree the 2024-25 season at RB is poor compared to previous ones).

[Tango Dancer]

34 minutes ago, JaneHartley said:

 

In reality how many male dancers are at their prime in their late 30s? How many in their early forties? Particularly given his strength is classical ballet. In reality we have probably only 4ish peak years and maybe a few more beyond that at the highest level. This is just a fact of human biology. Vadim has been very lucky injury wise too so far, but as he ages, the risk will go up there too. 

 

I think dancers go on longer than they ever have because the health care provision (especially at RB) is so much better. So you see people recovering from injuries and enjoying significantly longer professional careers.  

 

I am also impressed that some of them, as they become more mature, learn how to act better and put more personality into their roles.  So I was watching Ryo Hirano recently being coached at Northern Ballet where he's apparently guesting in their Romeo and Juliet and I was really struck by how absorbing he was in the role and how much he was bringing the character to life.  I've never seen him actually emoting quite so much when he was a younger dancer.  I think perhaps sometimes having lived more means that people can bring deeper feeling to the role.  

 

I'd also say for Vadim that he's also a really good teacher, so if he wants to diversify into that he'd be good at it.  I've done his masterclasses at Danceworks and he's one of the best I've seen for being able to teach (a lot of first class dancers are rubbish at teaching so it's nice that he's so good at it).

Edited August 30 by Tango Dancer

[Jan McNulty]

3 minutes ago, Tango Dancer said:

 

I think dancers go on longer than they ever have because the health care provision (especially at RB) is so much better. So you see people recovering from injuries and enjoying significantly longer professional careers.  

 

I am also impressed that some of them, as they become more mature, learn how to act better and put more personality into their roles.  So I was watching Ryo Hirano recently being coached at Northern Ballet where he's apparently guesting in their Romeo and Juliet and I was really struck by how absorbing he was in the role and how much he was bringing the character to life.  I've never seen him actually emoting quite so much when he was a younger dancer.  I think perhaps sometimes having lived more means that people can bring deeper feeling to the role.  

 

I'd also say for Vadim that he's also a really good teacher, so if he wants to diversify into that he'd be good at it.  I've done his masterclasses at Danceworks and he's one of the best I've seen for being able to teach (a lot of first class dancers are rubbish at teaching so it's nice that he's so good at it).

We’ve booked an extra ticket at Stratford to hopefully see Amber & Ryo.  They looked fabulous together in rehearsal at the Open Day.

[Sophoife]

Er...AusBallet is doing Manon next year. And Sleeping Beauty. I can't see Muntagirov in Nijinsky (not in the lead role anyway), but I would love to see him in the new Blake Works VI and in Glass Pieces, although I might want to see him in those rather more than he might want to dance them...

 

...wanders off to email Mr Hallberg...

 

 

Edited August 30 by Sophoife
Added phrase.

[JaneHartley]

2 hours ago, Tango Dancer said:

I think dancers go on longer than they ever have because the health care provision (especially at RB) is so much better.

I agree they can go on for much longer than they did before but they will be declining in physical ability, that is just the nature of time. Yes their performances may be enhanced by experience in other areas but we need to enjoy the physical peak of Vadim which won't last that much longer (in relative terms) whilst we still can as he is an extraordinary dancer and a large part of that is his physical skills. 

[OnePigeon]

Regardless of whether Vadim is happy at the RBO, or has other plans, the biggest takeaway from this situation is that we have a dancer here who so many of us are desperate to see and we aren’t given the opportunity as he isn’t given the opportunity to dance because of the dismal programming.  I saw Swan Lake last night and it only made me miss Vadim’s exceptional dancing all the more.

It really shouldn’t be a situation that your top and most popular male principal, at the peak of his career, is spending it jetting off around the world in order to actually dance when he is an employee of a top ballet company who should be showcasing him like the jewel he is.  It is a pretty sad state of affairs for the dancers and audiences who love classical works that they are left thirsting like a person desperately seeking water in a desert.  #JusticeforVadim(and his fans).  Wouldn’t it be nice if a classical choreographer was hired to create a new classical piece for Vadim?

His lack of presence in this season really should have meant he was cast in the first run of Onegin and there are bound to be extenuating circumstances we are unaware of, but on paper it doesn’t make a lot of sense to deprive your audience of one of your most popular dancers for a whole season.  Would this occur elsewhere?  (I’m asking a genuine question as I don’t know much about the politics of international companies).  I’m just relieved I relented on my decision to not see Cinderella again and booked to see him and Marianela, as goodness knows when we’ll next see them together again.

 

[oncnp]

41 minutes ago, OnePigeon said:

I’m just relieved I relented on my decision to not see Cinderella again and booked to see him and Marianela, as goodness knows when we’ll next see them together again.

 

Hopefully you will see them in Cinderella. She posted today that she needs to have treatment for an injury. She is out of the Rome Swan Lake at least

Edited August 30 by oncnp
Correction

[Aruna S]

8 minutes ago, oncnp said:

Hopefully you will see them in Cinderella. She posted today that she needs to have treatment for an injury. She is out of the Rome Swan Lake and possibly the Hong Kong Giselle if I read it correctly

The Rome Sleeping Beauty, not Swan Lake. I was greatly looking forward to seeing her, but am glad (well, not glad because it's an injury, of course!) to see there's a good reason why she's pulled out. Until a few years ago Rome had developed a poor reputation for announcing names who thereafter did not appear, and I was afraid this was happening again.

[oncnp]

2 minutes ago, Aruna S said:

The Rome Sleeping Beauty, not Swan Lake. I was greatly looking forward to seeing her, but am glad (well, not glad because it's an injury, of course!) to see there's a good reason why she's pulled out. Until a few years ago Rome had developed a poor reputation for announcing names who thereafter did not appear, and I was afraid this was happening again.

Thank you.  Should have looked it up 

Edited August 30 by oncnp

[Silver Capricorn]

23 minutes ago, oncnp said:

Hopefully you will see them in Cinderella. She posted today that she needs to have treatment for an injury. She is out of the Rome Swan Lake at least

On October 12 and 13, Nela and Vadim are scheduled to perform in Swan Lake in Tokyo.

[oncnp]

22 minutes ago, Silver Capricorn said:

On October 12 and 13, Nela and Vadim are scheduled to perform in Swan Lake in Tokyo.

Thank you. I knew there was a Swan Lake in there somewhere 

[bridiem]

2 hours ago, OnePigeon said:

It really shouldn’t be a situation that your top and most popular male principal, at the peak of his career, is spending it jetting off around the world in order to actually dance when he is an employee of a top ballet company who should be showcasing him like the jewel he is.  It is a pretty sad state of affairs for the dancers and audiences who love classical works that they are left thirsting like a person desperately seeking water in a desert.  #JusticeforVadim(and his fans). 

 

Thank you, @OnePigeon - the hashtag really made me laugh!! Maybe we could start a merchandise line?! Mugs, teatowels etc? Maybe the RBO shop would stock it? Oh no, wait...  

[OnePigeon]

2 hours ago, oncnp said:

Hopefully you will see them in Cinderella. She posted today that she needs to have treatment for an injury. She is out of the Rome Swan Lake at least

Noooo!  I might start a riot and re-enact The Rite of Spring.

 

A merchandise line is a brilliant idea @bridiem, I would definitely wear a #JusticeforVadim(and his fans) hoodie.   Could we maybe get Banksy to do a mural on a wall somewhere Kevin frequents?

[jmhopton]

3 hours ago, OnePigeon said:

Regardless of whether Vadim is happy at the RBO, or has other plans, the biggest takeaway from this situation is that we have a dancer here who so many of us are desperate to see and we aren’t given the opportunity as he isn’t given the opportunity to dance because of the dismal programming.  I saw Swan Lake last night and it only made me miss Vadim’s exceptional dancing all the more.

It really shouldn’t be a situation that your top and most popular male principal, at the peak of his career, is spending it jetting off around the world in order to actually dance when he is an employee of a top ballet company who should be showcasing him like the jewel he is.  It is a pretty sad state of affairs for the dancers and audiences who love classical works that they are left thirsting like a person desperately seeking water in a desert.  #JusticeforVadim(and his fans).  Wouldn’t it be nice if a classical choreographer was hired to create a new classical piece for Vadim?

His lack of presence in this season really should have meant he was cast in the first run of Onegin and there are bound to be extenuating circumstances we are unaware of, but on paper it doesn’t make a lot of sense to deprive your audience of one of your most popular dancers for a whole season.  Would this occur elsewhere?  (I’m asking a genuine question as I don’t know much about the politics of international companies).  I’m just relieved I relented on my decision to not see Cinderella again and booked to see him and Marianela, as goodness knows when we’ll next see them together again.

 

 

Thanks for this OnePigeon. You said what I had been thinking, but far better than I could. Love the hashtag too!

[J_New]

22 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

We’ve booked an extra ticket at Stratford to hopefully see Amber & Ryo.  They looked fabulous together in rehearsal at the Open Day.

A slight diversion from the thread (sorry!) but is the casting for Stratford available anywhere? I can't find it, and would want to see these two if possible.

[Sim]

18 hours ago, OnePigeon said:

 Wouldn’t it be nice if a classical choreographer was hired to create a new classical piece for Vadim?

 

Wouldn't it be nice if a classical choreographer were hired full stop?!

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, J_New said:

A slight diversion from the thread (sorry!) but is the casting for Stratford available anywhere? I can't find it, and would want to see these two if possible.

 

The casting for the spring was announced well in advance but then all was changed due to illness and injury so perhaps the company is being a bit more cautious this time.

[Scheherezade]

18 hours ago, OnePigeon said:

Regardless of whether Vadim is happy at the RBO, or has other plans, the biggest takeaway from this situation is that we have a dancer here who so many of us are desperate to see and we aren’t given the opportunity as he isn’t given the opportunity to dance because of the dismal programming.  I saw Swan Lake last night and it only made me miss Vadim’s exceptional dancing all the more.

It really shouldn’t be a situation that your top and most popular male principal, at the peak of his career, is spending it jetting off around the world in order to actually dance when he is an employee of a top ballet company who should be showcasing him like the jewel he is.  It is a pretty sad state of affairs for the dancers and audiences who love classical works that they are left thirsting like a person desperately seeking water in a desert.  #JusticeforVadim(and his fans).  Wouldn’t it be nice if a classical choreographer was hired to create a new classical piece for Vadim?

His lack of presence in this season really should have meant he was cast in the first run of Onegin and there are bound to be extenuating circumstances we are unaware of, but on paper it doesn’t make a lot of sense to deprive your audience of one of your most popular dancers for a whole season.  Would this occur elsewhere?  (I’m asking a genuine question as I don’t know much about the politics of international companies).  I’m just relieved I relented on my decision to not see Cinderella again and booked to see him and Marianela, as goodness knows when we’ll next see them together again.

 

This!!!!! In its totality. From start to finish. We need a petition - for both Vadim and classical choreography. 

[oncnp]

On 30/08/2024 at 07:03, oncnp said:

As for trying new things he is dipping one of those long, elegant toes into choreography with a Sleeping Beauty pdd with the Cape Town City ballet this weekend. 

 

Sorry to reply to my own post but apparently this didn't happen....Kaneko danced the Dying Swan instead

[The Sitter In]

Interesting replies and opinions, especially those that are on topic…!

It is the absolute waste of talent and opportunity that bugs me most. O’Hare seems to schedule ballets with little thought re. casting…why have Mayerling if there are no obvious Rudolfs?

If only O’H could think out of his McGregor/Wheeldon/Toonga box, e.g. why not revive Van Manen’s Four Schumann Pieces for Muntagirov? - it was made for the RB as a vehicle for Dowell, so fitting for Vadim, and reviving it would also acknowledge a great choreographer now well into his nineties…

[FionaM]

A few things that occur to me:

 

Vadim mentioned at a book signing last year that what he laments is that no one has created a new ballet on him.  It’s one of the reasons that Alina Cojocaru left the RB, although she was in the original cast of Chroma and other short works.  
 

Vadim is getting wider classical repertoire experiences by guesting elsewhere.  Different versions and productions, as well as ballets not performed by RB.  It may be that guesting engagements have determined which run he will appear in of Onegin at ROH. 
 

It’s time he had a website announcing future performances around the world  … both full length and galas, so that fans can have enough notice to travel to see him.  The only dancer that I know who does this well (by which I mean complete information) is Friedemann Vogel. 

Edited August 31 by FionaM
Extra info

[oncnp]

20 minutes ago, FionaM said:

 

It’s time he had a website announcing future performances around the world  … both full length and galas, so that fans can have enough notice to travel to see him.  The only dancer that I know who does this well (by which I mean complete information) is Friedemann Vogel. 

 

This. The world's worst self-promoter. 

 

There is an IG inkling (reply to a post) of a Swan Lake in Brno in January which I would love as an excuse to go to Prague and Brno.  The production website appears to be short one Siegfried but no official announcement from him or the company

Edited August 31 by oncnp

[emmarose]

18 minutes ago, FionaM said:

A few things that occur to me:

 

Vadim mentioned at a book signing last year that what he laments is that no one has created a new ballet on him.  It’s one of the reasons that Alina Cojocaru left the RB, although she was in the original cast of Chroma and other short works.  
 

Vadim is getting wider classical repertoire experiences by guesting elsewhere.  Different versions and productions, as well as ballets not performed by RB.  It may be that guesting engagements have determined which run he will appear in of Onegin at ROH. 
 

It’s time he had a website announcing future performances around the world  … both full length and galas, so that fans can have enough notice to travel to see him.  The only dancer that I know who does this well (by which I mean complete information) is Friedemann Vogel. 

 

It's something I often bemoan on here and in general, that the ROH have in their hands one of the finest classical dancers and not one choreographer has created anything on him. It seems senseless to me and a great waste that there will be nothing left behind after his great career. 

 

 

[Angela]

I don’t want to defend Kevin O'Hare, but a ballet director, any ballet director, should not only look after his best principal dancer, but after all his dancers - including the young talents who need opportunities to prove themselves.  It is always a matter of weighing up which programmes to choose. Without, unfortunately, having seen Muntagirov too often, his repertoire seems very limited. The most modern thing he has ever danced seems to be Forsythe’s Vertiginous Thrill, please correct me if I’m wrong. He does this of his own choice and I absolutely understand him, some great Russian ballerinas did the same to keep their pure classical style. But very few choreographers working today create purely classical ballets – so you either accept inflections of dramatic or slightly modern ballet, or you have to choose a company that works purely classical, though there are few of them left. For most classical virtuoses or Danseur Nobles I have seen, it made them so much better to cross some borders in their thirties. Vladimir Shklyarov, for example (compare his Lavrovsky-Romeo before and after his Cranko-Romeo), Friedemann Vogel of course, who grew so much by dancing Béjart, Neumeier, Goecke et. al.

 

A really great ballet director, thinking about it, could do both – present his virtuoso classical dancers in the roles that suit them AND discover new talent, both choreographers and dancers. Well.

[Silver Capricorn]

36 minutes ago, oncnp said:

 

This. The world's worst self-promoter. 

 

There is an IG inkling (reply to a post) of a Swan Lake in Brno in January which I would love as an excuse to go to Prague and Brno.  The production website appears to be short one Siegfried but no official announcement from him or the company

I asked Vadim about Swan Lake in Brno in January, because I wanted to know the exact date out of three possible performances.  He replied that he didn't know about it and that he thought the director wouldn't let him go.  But he'll check it out.