The performance of Marcelo Gomez, who started his dancing career in his native Brazil, in the play "The Red Shoes" this year. Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

One of the world's most famous ballet dancers has resigned from the American Ballet Theater after being accused of sexual indecency, according to a spokesman for the company.

Dancer Marcelo Gomez was the premiere at the American Ballet Theater and worked there for two decades.

“Last Saturday, TAM management became aware of Mr. Gomez's allegations of sexual harassment that occurred about eight years ago,” Andrew F. Barth, chairman of the troupe's board of trustees, said in an email. – The American Ballet Theater took immediate action and initiated an independent investigation with the involvement of the Law Office Cahill Gordon & Reindel L.L.P. For the duration of the investigation, Mr. Gomez has been fired from the theater."

Bart stated that the alleged episode did not involve current or former members of the troupe and was not related to Gomez's "professional responsibilities".

Gomez did not respond to messages sent to him asking for comment on the situation. But Lisa Linden, a spokeswoman for Gomez, issued a statement via email: “Marcelo is currently thinking. He is very grateful for the support that gives him strength from family members, friends and colleagues. We have no further comments at this time."

Gomez, now thirty-eight, started his dancing career in Brazil, where he is from. He joined the American Ballet Theater in 1997, and in 2002 became its Premier. The last time he performed with the troupe was on December 9 in the ballet The Nutcracker.

As a performer, Gomez is renowned for his strength, stage presence and versatility. He is also known as a choreographer and has been the subject of a documentary, Anatomy of a Dancer, which was scheduled to premiere at the New York Film Forum next month. The director of the film has not yet commented on the matter.

The allegation of indecent sexual conduct against Gomez is one of many such allegations that have surfaced in recent months, sparking a wave of investigations and layoffs in areas such as the film industry, tech research, fashion and food service. The so-called #MeToo the movement also affected ballet; in particular, Peter Martins, longtime head of the New York City Ballet, was accused of sexual harassment and violence.

Translation - Svetlana Usacheva

It's already out in Nezavisimaya, I'll hang it here as well.

The next season of the international project "Kings of Dance" started in St. Petersburg last weekend. For several years now, producer Sergei Danilyan has been gathering the world's leading dancers on the same stage: at different times, the project participants were, for example, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Roberto Bolle and David Hallberg. This season, experienced "kings" Marcelo Gomez (Brazil), Ivan Vasiliev (Russia), Denis Matvienko (Ukraine), and "infantas" Friedeman Vogel (Germany) and Herman Cornejo (Argentina) enter the stages of St. Petersburg and Moscow.

And if the artists somehow pass the exam for belonging to the upper strata of the dance society, then the repertoire that they have to perform this year is not included in the golden fund of choreography, if only for the reason that two-thirds of the numbers belong to the authorship of the "kings" themselves. .

The beneficiary of the current project in this sense is, of course, Marcelo Gomez. The evening opens with his composition "Tristesse" (French - sadness, melancholy) to the music of Frederic Chopin, created based on the work of the French poet Paul Eluard. The male padequart on the themes of love, male friendship, rivalry and betrayal allows each of the participants to immediately designate their areas of responsibility: for example, Ivan Vasilyev is traditionally responsible for jumping, Denis Matvienko is responsible for virtuosity, Friedemann Vogel is for the purity of lines, and HermanCornejo is for amazing soft plastic.

It is worth noting that this year Sergey Danilyan for the first time involved not only dancers, but also musicians in the project: Andrey Gugnin (piano), Charles Young (violin) and Juan Pablo Giofre (bandoneon). The second part just comes off with a poignantly dreary solo on the bandoneon, under which GermánCornejo performs his number "Transcendence" (eng. - superiority), which, despite the name and the sultry southern temperament of the artist, other numbers, alas, do not surpass either entertainment or the quality of the choreography.

The solo from The Great Gatsby by Dwight Rhoden and performed by Denis Matvienko equally palely reflects the complex spiritual collisions of Gatsby and the technical capabilities of Denis Matvienko himself, a virtuoso artist worthy of the best dance material.

Composed and performed by Marcelo Gómez, the number "Paganini" to the accompaniment of Charles Young can be safely attributed to the success of the project. As a choreographer, Gomez captivates with his elegant sense of humor and masterful ability to combine elements of classical and modern choreography almost seamlessly, and as an artist, he impresses the audience with the purity of dance articulation and sculptural clarity of poses.

On the other hand, Friedemann Vogel's "Mopey" choreographer Marco Gecke was unpleasantly surprised by the discouraging helplessness of the choreography, which even the graceful and flighty premiere of the Stuttgart Ballet could not breathe strength into. Apparently, the rule worked: "What do you call the boat ..."

A rather lengthy composition by Patrick de Baan "The Labyrinth of Solitude" performed by Ivan Vasilyev has been included in the project program for several years now and has always been a wild success with the audience. opportunities for the public. But despite this, the "Labyrinth" of loneliness was still performed by him with more taste than before, and a more mature interpretation of the image was able to distract from the rather monotonous choreography. One can only regret that the audience, who came to the Mikhailovsky Theater on the premiere day, did not see the previously announced work by Ivan Vasiliev himself with the simultaneously naive and intriguing title “Taste of Love”.

Towards the end, the audience was shown another traditional number for the project by Marcelo Gomez - "KO`d" to the music of the Canadian dancer and composer Guillaume Cote, by the way, a participant in one of the last seasons of the project. A casket without a secret, a decorative and elegant number, reminding, however, that over the years of the project's existence, its form more and more prevails over its content.

When the material was being created, it became known that a knee injury prevented Ivan Vasiliev from continuing the tour with the rest of the “kings”. In St. Petersburg, he was urgently replaced by the young premier of the Mikhailovsky Theater Viktor Lebedev, but the Moscow audience will see him on the stage of the Musical Theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, who has repeatedly participated in the project of Leonid Sarafanov, an artist of world renown, who has a filigree technique and an effortlessly joyful manner of performance.

Somehow it turned out so awkwardly that I knocked everyone on a flash mob with author's posts, without having a single worthwhile post in the draft. I had to urgently get out and look for a saving topic, and then he walks right next to me and demands to stop posting handsome men from the boring world of opera, and pay attention to beautiful men in ballet. Well, who am I to pass by male beauty? And now a selection of incredibly beautiful world ballet premieres is presented to the attention of gossips, i.e. the most-very stars, I did not look for all this beauty with a magnifying glass along the rows of cords in the summer, there is also talent, sometimes remarkable.

P.S. Yes, one of these beautiful men is probably gay (by the way, most of them are happily married). Someone is considered French or American, although any other blood flows in his veins. The main thing is that they are all good-looking and it is their appearance that is the topic of the post. Of course, you can discuss everything, including orientation, but without holivars, please (I said plaintively, recalling my last post about opera favorites).

Iiii number 1 - beautiful french Mathieu Gagno(Mathieu Ganio), 31 years old, "etoile" (that is, the best of the best, "star" and prime minister) of the Paris Opera, the same one that is the Grand Opera and the Opera Garnier))

2 . This is followed by other "etoiles" of the Grand Opera. Another French Stephan Bouillon(Stephane Bullion), 35 years old. In 2003, the poor fellow was diagnosed with cancer, but he managed to defeat the disease and, after recovery, take the premier position in the leading theater in France. Amazing willpower and courage.

3 . French again Joshua Hoffalt(Josua Hoffalt), 31 years old. For some reason, he reminded me of the famous football player Luis Figo in a black and white photoset.

4. Benjamin Peck(Benjamin Pech), 41 years old, French, oddly enough)) I just see how, at the sight of him, connoisseurs of classical beauty stomp their feet and shout that he is scary. But for me it’s so very good, I love such big-nosed men))

5 . The French are finished, next in line is an American with the unpronounceable name Nehemiah Kish (we usually translate it as Nehemia Kish, although I have big doubts about this pronunciation of the name). Dances the premiere roles at the Royal Ballet in London (what we colloquially call Covent Garden). Outwardly, it terribly reminds me of the Wolf from the fantasy of my childhood "The Tenth Kingdom", so I can only look at him with tenderness))

6 . The famous Italian from La Scala Roberto Bolle(Roberto Bolle), 40 years old. Here he is openly gay, which does not detract from either his talent or beauty (not to my taste, to be honest, but the fans of the crowd).

7 . Brazilian Marcelo Gomez(Marcelo Gomes), 35, Premier of the American Ballet Theatre.

8 . And finally, the Russian Denis Rodkin, 25 years old, from the Bolshoi Theatre. At least catch this handsome man not far, not beyond the seas and oceans. Honestly, I don't know if it makes sense.

That's the whole portion of beauties for today :)

Nina Alovert

Events ABT 2017-Summer.

Farewell performance by Diana Vishneva

“Who can know at the word “parting”,
what a parting we will have"
– (O. Mandelstam “Tristia”)

Diana Vishneva joined the American Ballet Theater in 2005, while remaining a ballerina at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. This season, Vishneva announced her departure from the ABT troupe and danced the last two performances - Cranko's ballet "Onegin" with her constant partner Marcelo Gomez in the role of Onegin.

No, Vishneva does not leave the stage. She continues to dance on the stage of the Mariinsky and other theaters, Kevin McKenzie, artistic director of the ABT, suggests inviting her next year, as a guest, to perform with the troupe on the MET stage. Let's believe that this will be the case.

Diana Vishneva. Photos by Nina Alovert.

But “who can know at the word “parting” ...”

So, Diana Vishneva danced her last performance "Onegin" on June 23rd. In this rather mediocre ballet, among the inexpressive, cardboard characters, Vishneva and Gomez were like two aliens. They danced on a different level than the entire troupe. It was not a dance, it was their language, given to them by nature, the language in which they expressed their thoughts and feelings, the language of high tragedy.

The whole performance of "Onegin" was interesting only by their relationship on the stage. In this unique stage partnership, even the mise-en-scene is always significant and important. For example, in the second act of Tatiana's name day, Onegin sits down in a corner to play solitaire. Let's leave aside all the absurdities and gross violations of decency and rules of behavior of that time, committed by the choreographer, some productions in modern Russian performances also sin by neglecting them. Let's take it for granted: Onegin comes to Tatyana's name day and sits down to play solitaire in the left corner of the stage, in the foreground. And on the other side of the stage, Tatyana is watching him. Of course, the choreographer choreographed the mise-en-scene. But only performers give them meaning.

Onegin of Gomez was thinking about his fate (about a meeting with Tatiana). He guessed and shifted the cards, and interfered with them, grinning, not wanting to agree with fate. And on the other side of the stage, Tatyana Vishneva watched him and trembled in hope, joy and despair. Because for Vishneva-Tatyana their destiny for each other was obvious. She understood that right now Onegin decides their lives. This thread of fate, stretching between them from the first glance at each other, held not only the act, but the entire ballet. Nothing in those performances was more important than this tense thread, which Onegin-Gomez broke when deliberately, in some kind of destructive ecstasy, he rushed to court Olga. At the end of the same act, there was another important moment in the stage relations of the artists. Having killed Lensky in a duel, Onegin stands and looks at Tatiana for quite some time. Tatyana Vishneva straightened up under his gaze and changed in our eyes. There was no more "a girl timid, in love, poor and simple." Another Tatyana looked at Onegin - the future "impregnable goddess of the cold, regal Neva." Thus began the tragic finale of the last scene of the ballet.

A scene from the play "Onegin". Diana Vishneva and Marcelo Gomez. Photographer Gene Chiavone

It is difficult to find adequate words from our everyday life about the performance of the last duet by the dancers. It was a continuous sob of two souls before eternal separation.

But in the theater, a performance is never like the previous one. So in the last "Onegin" a duet of Tatyana and Onegin occupied a special place in the scene of Tatyana's dream. This duet, consisting of complex and uncomfortable lifts, the artists danced as if there was no difficulty. Vishneva flew in the hands of Gomez - so Tatyana's soul flew with happiness, which she could remain: free, free, happy. Vishneva has reached a height in her work when, it seems, for a ballerina there is no limit to the possession of choreography, which she subordinates to meaning and feeling.

A scene from The Lady with the Camellias. Diana Vishneva and Marcelo Gomez.

In the production, Onegin appears to Tatyana in her dream as a demonic handsome man, seducer and tempter, an unkind phantom emerging from a mirror. But in this last performance, the duet in a dream performed by the dancers turned out to be a happy love duet, because Gomez's Onegin came not as a seducer, but as lovers. Was it deliberately played? Hardly. This duet in the last performance turned out to be a brief moment of happy love for the heroes, which it could become.

A scene from the play "Onegin". Diana Vishneva and Marcelo Gomez. Photographer Gene Chiavone

Vishneva and Gomez danced together a large repertoire of classical and contemporary ballets. The duet of Vishneva and Gomez reaches its highest acting height in ballets with a tragic content. Where fate cruelly, senselessly, thoughtlessly destroys the lives of heroes. Where the heroes, destined for each other by fate, themselves cruelly, senselessly, thoughtlessly destroy it. The creative union of Vishneva and Gomez is a rare phenomenon. The spiritual connection of their heroes on stage can only be determined by the verses of Marina Tsvetaeva:

Like right and left handYour soul is close to my soul.

... But the whirlwind rises - and the abyss liesFrom right to left wing!

After the end of Onegin, the curtain opened and another act took place: a corps de ballet stood on the stage, flowers were brought out, the theater premieres, tutors, Alexei Ratmansky, Kevin Mackenzie, the conductor. Diana's husband Konstantin Selinevich came out with a bouquet of flowers.

Everyone hugged Diana, flowers flew from the grate and from the hall. Then Marcelo led Diana to the ramp. On the 23rd was the last performance, perhaps the last - together. They must have thought about it. Diana cried, coming out to the applause, Marcelo began to cry already during the last duet. The audience wept. The parting of the heroes of the ballet, Tatyana and Onegin, exacerbated the tragedy of the moment for everyone.

Anniversary performance by Marcelo Gomez

On June 20th at the Metropolitan Opera, Marcelo Gomez, Premier of the ABT, danced Albert in Giselle. With this performance, the ABT troupe and the board of directors celebrated the 20th anniversary of the work of this outstanding dancer (I will add - the last outstanding dancer in the troupe).

A scene from the play "Giselle".

It was an interesting performance in many ways. Giselle danced cleanly and neatly by Stella Abrera, in terms of her talent as a soloist, not a ballerina. Neither the image, nor the emotions, nor the contact with the partner was out of the question. Gomez thus found himself alone on stage in this love drama. And I must say, he got out of this difficult situation with the skill of a real artist.

A scene from the play "Giselle". Stella Abrera and Marcelo Gomez. Photographer Rosalyn O'Conner

The performers of the role of Albert interpret it in different ways. In the first act, where, according to the libretto, a disguised count seeks the love of a peasant woman, Gomez danced exactly this story: the handsome count was touched by the charm of a country girl, her naivety and innocence, and sought to win her favor with the assertiveness of an experienced bon vivant. There was no love at all. The death of the girl, of course, evoked feelings of guilt and remorse in him. In this state, he came to the cemetery in the second act with a bouquet of lilies.

The dancers in the second act have different acting options. The Count may realize his love, he may come to ask for forgiveness from a lovely shadow... this decision of the role largely depends on the end of the first act, on contact with the performer of the role of Giselle. But since the dancer Abrera did not make any contact, Gomez chose a very rare path for the performer: he danced the entire act with the vengeful jeeps and Giselle, like scenes he had dreamed of in the fog of the night forest. And he created this impression consciously, from time to time, trying as if to shake off the obsession, and again plunging into the pictures created by his remorse.

The end of the ballet performed by Gomez was interesting. The dancers in my spectator age did the ending in different ways. From the time of Mikhail Baryshnikov, his followers walked away from the grave of Giselle with a bouquet of lilies, dropping them. Gomez took one flower, went to the back of the stage, knelt down and threw it in front of him, as if saying goodbye to Giselle. The nightmare is over, the count has atoned for his guilt.

Marcelo Gomez. Photo by Nina Alovert

I saw quite a lot of performances with the participation of Gomez. That evening he was in excellent dance form, but as an actor he has grown a lot in recent years. A meaningful acting existence is the result of his many years of work on roles with Diana Vishneva. All her partners know how inexorable she is in her work and she seeks from her partner not only the technical mastery of the choreography, but also an understanding of the choreography, an understanding of the role.

Gomez is a naturally emotional dancer and endowed with rich intuition. I think that working with Vishneva added to him the mastery of the situation on the stage, the mastery in the conscious creation of the image.

And there was, as it should be, one more action: the corps de ballet stood on the stage, the theater premieres, tutors, Alexei Ratmansky, Kevin Mackenzie, the conductor came out. Everyone hugged Marcelo, flowers flew from the grate and from the hall. But it was a fun last act! It was a holiday, an anniversary that has not yet summed up! Thank you Marcelo for your art! Until the next performance, Marcelo!

All your partners, including Diana Vishneva, said that you are a brilliant partner. I wonder who brought this up in you, where, in general, does this quality come from - not to put yourself in the foreground? After all, showing yourself is part of your profession ...

This question can be answered for a very long time ... I think it's part of my nature - first of all, to think about others, and only then - about myself. This is what was in me initially. Nobody really taught me this. This, most likely, comes from the family, the parental home - from mom and dad. I have a brother and sister who live in Brazil. We are very close, we always shared everything. I started dancing as a couple very early on. Once a year, the Cuban Ballet came to us in Brazil, and they gave classes. I worked with Laura, Alicia Alonso's daughter. These classes were emotionally difficult for me, because I was very small and could not lift a ballerina at all. And at the same time I saw other dancers who easily did it many times. But I couldn't and I was very upset. And I really wanted to learn! While I was growing up, I had a peculiar physiology, a disproportion of arms and body - my arms were longer. It was quite a complex process of physical formation before I became the dancer that I am now.

I left Brazil to study in Florida for three years, then there was a year of study in Paris. And at some point I felt that in a duet dance I have some advantages over other dancers. Then I joined the ABT troupe - first as a corps de ballet dancer, but soon moved to the rank of lead dancer. Perhaps my studies with Laura in my youth contributed to this. It was enough for me just to watch in order to feel the ballerina, to feel what she expects from a partner at her 16-17 years old ...

I got my first solo part while still dancing in the corps de ballet - the Balanchine pas de deux to the music of Tchaikovsky.

For me, it was a chance to show my skill and all my skills as a partner - how I work with a ballerina, how I can raise her. And I got all these complex lifts, as if everything I was taught came together at one point, in one moment. And when I went on stage with my partner, I felt very confident.

Returning to the question… After many years, having danced with many ballerinas, I think that it is very important, on the one hand, to be delicate, and on the other hand, to control your duet, and this control should be mutual. This understanding was best achieved with Diana. Because we guide each other, and we hear each other. And so a complete interpenetration is born.

It seems to me that the main secret of a successful partnership is the ability to listen and understand what she needs and what not. Relationships between artists on stage are like people's relationships in life - it's not about what's important to you, but about what's important to both of you.

One more question about Diana… We really appreciate her here in Russia, she is one of our favorite ballerinas. First of all, for her dramatic talent. She is one of the best dramatic ballerinas.

You danced with her for the first time at 17, is that true?

Actually, a little older - I was in my 20s, maybe a little more.

But do you remember how it was?

Oh yeah!

You can tell us about it - it is very interesting for us.

She was supposed to dance the play "Manon" with another partner. But he got injured, and I think by that time Diana saw me in other games, with other partners. She approached Kevin McKenzie and said, "I want to dance Manon with Marcelo."

I took the recording - then everything was still on video cassettes. And he revised the part of de Grieux as many times as possible. The next day we had a meeting in the studio, I wanted to come earlier, but Diana was already there.

I warmed up quickly and we started rehearsing from the first act. It was a moment of magic – the chemistry came almost instantly. We didn’t even understand how - there was something sacred, cosmic in it ... It was one of the most extraordinary moments in my life, and Diana felt very light and free ... It was like a drug, and we realized that we want to do it again and again . I think it was a surprise for both of us. We practically did not know each other before, and the pas de deux from Manon is very complex - all these jumps, variations. But we felt a real closeness. It was a very happy day!

About your homeland - Brazil. Do you visit there often? Obviously you are a national star...

Thank you. Yes, my relatives live in Brazil: mom, dad, brother and sister, my sister has a daughter, my brother will soon become a father - so I will be twice an uncle. I love my family very much and I am, shall we say, a family oriented person. Together with them I feel happier. I also love my country and am very proud to be Brazilian. Brazilians are very hardworking people. But, unfortunately, there are many political and economic difficulties in our country, although it is very generously endowed in terms of nature, and we have a lot of things that we can export, that we can give to other countries.

Unfortunately, I was forced to leave my native country at the age of 13, because at that time there were no companies where I could dance, where I could develop further as a dancer. But now such companies have appeared, very good troupes have appeared in Brazil. Unfortunately, in our country there is such a problem, in Russia, I think it does not exist - the government practically does not support art, which makes it very difficult for artists. For my part, I always try to support national troupes as much as possible and always dance with pleasure in my homeland. What amazes me in Brazil is that dancers, having modest opportunities, achieve high results.

A banal question about football. We are currently having the World Cup. Do you like soccer?

I follow football a little, especially when our national team plays at the World Cup. Unfortunately, last time they did not play very well with the German national team. I couldn't watch it then, I just got on my motorcycle and left. But now I hope that they will perform much better, they have a new coach and they are well prepared.

In a country where football is still more developed than ballet, how did you manage to defend your dream, go further, and who were your idols, landmarks?

It was very difficult, because, yes, Brazil is, first of all, the country of football. Our football players are real stars. Perhaps that is why my family and I made the decision that we needed to leave - where you can be better trained, where you can achieve greater success and recognition.

I guess the Brazilian media didn't know or write anything about me before I became the premier of ABT. I always think about Carmen Miranda, who had to leave the country, become famous outside of Brazil in order to be known in her homeland. But now, in the age of social networks, the Internet, Instagram, Twitter, young dancers have more chances and opportunities. Today in Brazil everyone knows these names: Thiago Suarez, Thiago Bordin, Roberta Marquez, Gustavo Carvalho, Denis Vieira, Gabriel Murillo, Moasir Manoel, Marcia Jacqueline, Giovani Furlan, Renan Cerdeiro and many others. But in my formative days, becoming famous was much more difficult.

As for ambition. Then, as a little boy, did you imagine that you would become the premiere of the American Ballet Theatre?

No. I assure you, I didn't think about it at all. I just loved to dance. And he always worked very hard. And even now. For example, I had never danced "After the Rain" before (chorus Christopher Wheeldon - ed.) and really wanted to learn it. And now, we are performing it at the Gala at the Bolshoi Theater together with Alessandra Ferri. It's just that when I was younger, I enjoyed getting on stage and dancing, never thinking, “Here! It will make you a star!" I just knew what I had to do, and everything happened.

In the autumn you come to the Kremlin Gala, where you will present your choreography. I understand that you will also develop your career as a choreographer.

From an early age I came up with some movements. And when guests came to us, they drank there, celebrated, my father took me to the center of the hall and said - “And now Marcelo will dance.” I think it all comes from childhood. It was very funny. They moved all the furniture, created such an impromptu dance floor (laughs).

And then in ABT I started betting on my friends. Slowly I began to put on pas de deux, I had artists for this. I am very lucky because my friends are the best dancers and anything you don't put on them will look great in their performance. For example, I staged for Roberto Bolle and Julia Kent, for the premieres of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres. Of course, in the beginning it was not easy, because the bar is very high. If you are a prime minister, then you must be a choreographer as well. Do you understand what I'm talking about. Therefore, it is very exciting and pleasant for me to show my choreography at the Kremlin Gala. One of the numbers is called "Ami", in French it means friend, buddy. It is set to music by Chopin. He talks about two men who can be brothers, friends, rivals ... Rather, this is not even a story, but an idea. I have never performed a number in Moscow, it will be the premiere. And Thomas Forster, the soloist of the American Ballet Theatre, is a talented and wonderful dancer, very flexible. I often stage my ballets for him. And I'm especially happy that we will perform this number with him, since it was originally created for him and Ruby Pronk.

Judging by Instagram, you have a wonderful dog. Do you love animals, and how can a ballet dancer balance work and pets?

Yes, of course, it is very difficult. But now my dog ​​is already quite old, she is 14 years old, she is almost all gray-haired. And, of course, you get used to them very much - they become family members, like a child. I took her when she was 8 weeks old and traveled a lot with her while she was little. It was very easy at first. But now, due to her age, it is difficult for her to carry the plane, so she has to be left at home. And, of course, when she sees the suitcase, she starts to feel sad. She is very dear to me, her name is Lua. I often took her to the theater with me when she was a puppy. When she hears the sound of the piano, she already knows that she should be sitting in her bag, and when the applause begins to sound, she crawls out.

Blitz

First appearance on stage

In Brazil. I was 6 years old, some kind of jazz dance to the music of Madonna.

I have never tried...

To ski.

I always have these three things with me.

Two back massage balls, they are always with me. A notebook and a pen, when some ideas about ballet come up, I immediately try to write them down. Photos of family andloved one.

Favorite city

Paris

IM proud of…

To who I am today

Bright moments of childhood

Family dinners

I am currently reading...

« Call me by your name"

On my playlist...

Of course, Beyoncé, Brazilian singer Marisa Monte, and a huge list of classical music. I listen to a lot

I can't without...

Without laughter

Secret of success

Everyone has their own secret, I guess. But the most important thing for me is to be flexible and constantly grow both as an artist and as a person. And stay positive because it attracts even more positivity

Well thank you. (Laughs)

Incidents on stage

One day I was late getting on stage, and the curtain had already gone up. This is any artist's worst nightmare.

Ability you would like to have

Flying is fine, of course. But I would like to eat and not get fat. Because I love to eat

Your current state of mind

I feel gratitude. I am grateful that I am alive, that I love and that I can be on stage. The path of life is not always straight, it can take us in different directions, but it depends on us what we will do with it. And now I feel blessed because I have the opportunity to do what I love.

Interview Alisa Aslanova

A photo Karina Zhitkova

Producer Ekaterina Bornovitskaya

Material created in partnership with Kremlin Gala which will take place on October 7, 2018.