Sergei Polunin is a Ukrainian dancer, ballet dancer and actor who blew up social photos with Putin's tattoo on his chest.

Biography Sergei Polunina

Polunin was born in Kherson on November 20, 1989. The future star of the London ballet began dancing at the age of 4 at the local sports school. When Sergey turned 9, his family moved to Kyiv, where the boy entered the Kiev State Choreographic School.

At 13, he entered the support program of the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation and left for London, continuing his studies at the Royal School of Ballet. Four years later, Polunin received a place at the Royal Ballet in London, and two years later became its youngest prime minister.

Around the same time, the artist begins to have problems with drugs. According to him, it is because of them that he decides to quit the London ballet. At that time, Polunin was actively engaged in self-harm, cutting figures on the skin with a blade, which he later repeatedly spoke about in his interviews.

The decision to leave the ballet was spontaneous. According to the artist, he went to the rehearsal, not even realizing that this was his last day at work, and made the decision in the locker room.

Such behavior led to the fact that the doors of most theaters in the world slammed shut in front of Polunin, and in 2012 he moved to Moscow, which offered him the place of the premiere of the theater. Stanislavsky - Nemirovich-Danchenko.

Personal life of Sergei Polunin

Despite drug problems and a complex nature, Polunin's personal life looks more boring than one might think. In London, the ballet dancer met with a colleague who was 9 years older than him. The couple was together for a little over 2 years, but after Polunin moved to Moscow, the relationship came to an end.

The ballerina again became the new chosen one of the artist. Sergei Polunin met Natalya Osipova at a rehearsal of Giselle at La Scala. Soon, a tattoo appeared on the dancer's arm with the name of the chosen one, stuffed right above the Ukrainian coat of arms.

Polunin's film career

According to Sergei Polunin, he wanted to become an actor since childhood, so he willingly took up any offers to take part in the filming. The turning point in the dancer's acting career was the shooting in the video of the Irish singer Hozier for the song Take Me to the Church in 2015. Both the song itself and the video featuring Polunin topped the charts in dozens of countries for weeks.

Immediately after that, the most generous offers rained down on the young artist. The talented ballet dancer was to the taste of Hollywood producers, so by 2018 Polunin's filmography was replenished with roles in Murder on the Orient Express, Red Sparrow, The Nutcracker and the biopic The Dancer. On the set, Polunin crossed paths with Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Keira Knightley and Jennifer Lawrence.

Polunin's attitude towards Russia and Ukraine

Polunin was associated with Ukraine only for the first 13 years of his life and a coat of arms tattoo on his left arm. But with Russia, the artist has much warmer relations. In his early interviews, the dancer claimed that the decision to move to Moscow was forced. Having refused a place at the Royal Ballet in London, Polunin acquired the reputation of an unreliable person, which is why he could not get a job in a theater in New York. the only big stage in the world of ballet, which left the doors open, was Moscow.

In the first years of his new Russian life, Polunin complained about the poor attitude towards the dancers and the small provision. In fairness, it should be noted that the salary of the prime minister in London, Polunin, also did not suit him. In an interview, he claimed that the dancers of the Royal Ballet have nothing to go to a restaurant, and he, with his 2.5 thousand pounds of income, is not even able to afford a car. But already in another interview, Polunin talked about a duplex apartment in the center of London with a “50-inch plasma” provided to him by the Royal Ballet, and also shared plans to buy his own home in the UK and get a British passport. The Moscow apartment, which, according to Polunin, was given to him by the theater, did not even have a microwave.

Polunin and Putin: where did the tattoo come from?

However, domestic hardships did not prevent the 23-year-old dancer from merging with Moscow a little more than completely. In 2012, Polunin stuffs the coat of arms of Russia on his arm, but after the annexation of Crimea and the attack on the Donbass, he begins to remove this tattoo. In 2014, as a sign of support for Ukraine, her coat of arms appears on the other hand of the artist.

In the period from 2014 to 2018, Polunin remains the premiere of the Moscow theater, but tries to stay away from political life countries. Crucial moment comes in 2018, when the dancer performs in the Crimea in front of Vladimir Putin who arrived there. General photos show that a new tattoo has appeared on the artist’s chest, but it’s almost impossible to see the details of the drawing.

In November, Sergei Polunin publishes a post thanking subscribers for their birthday wishes and promising to "send all good wishes to Vladimir [Putin]." According to the artist, the Russian president is treated unfairly, and this is wrong. The post is accompanied by a photograph of the head of the Russian Federation.

The next day, Polunin publishes another post, this time with a tattoo of Putin on his chest and a hand stuffed with a Ukrainian trident. And as if that weren't enough, a day later a third picture appears in the artist's feed - a new photo of a tattoo with Putin and a hand with a half-flattened Russian coat of arms.

At the end of November, Polunin finally “finishes off” the audience by publishing a picture of a Russian passport. According to him, Russia has always been "good" for him, and he is glad to become its citizen.

Polunin does not comment on the sudden surge of love for Russia. To many, the dancer's behavior seems strange - his acting career is on the rise, but love outpourings to the disgraced president could put an end to this. For an artist whose ballet career will come to an end in a few years, this is comparable to a shot in the leg - Russian cinema will not be able to offer him even a tenth of what Hollywood gives, and the latter may not be scrupulous in choosing his favorites, but take the risk box office for the sake of "Putin" may not want to.

Polunin himself has so far held back from making new political statements.

A student of the Kyiv State Choreographic School, Sergei Polunin became the youngest premier in the history of the Royal Ballet in London. I didn’t like it in England - I returned to Russia, where now it soars under the ceiling of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater.

Due to the fact that Polunin's entire childhood was devoted to ballet, and this, as you know, is the hardest work, he grew up as a not very sociable boy. Sergey himself says that it is his isolation that makes it possible to best convey the feelings of romantic and lonely characters on stage. This is also facilitated by the extraordinary appearance of our hero.

The personal life of Sergei Polunin is closely connected with ballet - it is probably impossible otherwise, because every prime minister literally lives in the theater, completely devoting himself to his beloved work. But this is not the only reason why representatives of this art try to stick together ... When Sergei lived in London, he met with a ballerina from the Royal Ballet Helen Crawford, but it was time to leave for Russia, and he decided to part with the girl. The dancer himself says that he is attracted exclusively to ballerinas: “You get used to the ballet standard. And all the other women seem strange - there are not enough muscles here and there.

Now Polunin lives in a small apartment in the center of Moscow, next to the theater, whether he is alone or not is unknown. He does not like to talk about his personal life, and yet he does not hide the fact that things are not going very well with this. In an interview with Mickey Rourke for Interview magazine, Sergey, not without irony, noted: “I don’t have a very good reputation, so it’s difficult with girls.”

– Is it true that you want to leave ballet at twenty-six or twenty-seven?

- I don't know yet. Although twenty-six, in my opinion, is a good number. I only know that you should go on stage only when you feel an explosion of adrenaline in your blood. Therefore, I can’t stand rehearsing for a long time, warming up. Everything should be like the first time, when some kind of surprise awaits you, when you don’t know what will happen in the next minute and how it will end. Only then do I enjoy being on stage.

Otherwise, what's the point of all this?

- Fame, success, money ...

- Freedom is more expensive.

Well, I can not stop looking, sorry!)))

Updated on 02/03/15 21:32:

At the request of Anitra - an excerpt from the ballet "Giselle". He really is beautiful!)

P.S. I haven't been able to find any information on growth.

Updated on 02/03/15 21:34:

And of course, Take me to church!)

Good evening everyone! :)

According to snob.ru, dog.ru

Polunin does not like to get up early. Everyone who worked with him knows about it. Yes, he does not argue: “I usually wake up difficult, for a long time. And immediately - to the machine. His close relationship with drugs was mentioned in the press as many times as his difficult relationship with ballet. It is logical to ask how things are now and whether the reason for the late awakening lies in stormy evenings. “No, I don’t drink, not to mention stronger substances,” Sergey does not look away, and his words sound convincing. - Before the machine or the performance I take L-carnitin, after - magnesia. For such words, every Moscow zealot would have shaken his hand.

PHOTO RankinSTYLE Vadim Galaganov

When, at the age of 22, Polunin left the Covent Garden troupe, the newspapermen and the deceived public concluded that the reason for leaving was problems with discipline and white powder. But that would be too easy.

Nylon and cotton hoodie, gabardine shirt, all - Ports 1961

PHOTO RankinSTYLE Vadim Galaganov

“It was not some rash act. I knew for a year and a half that I would leave. I had questions that I didn't get answers to. Why are dancers treated in such a way that at the age of 35 they are simply kicked out of the theater? Why such salaries? Why can't anyone afford to buy an apartment? No one, even the best ballet dancer at the Royal Theater, will earn so much in his entire career. Mortgages only! And I calculated then that the best football players in the world receive more money than the artists in the Royal Ballet in a year, all combined. For example, a corps de ballet receives $1,500 a month. Moreover, such a person works eleven hours a day, he has absolutely no life, he sees nothing. I'm terribly offended by the industry! (Laughs.) At that time, I constantly thought: why did my mother send me to ballet, why did I spend all these years?! Why did you try so hard to be as good as you could be? So that later you won't be able to buy a ticket for your parents to come, or your house? There were many questions. And so I decided: why should I suffer in this industry, it’s better to go to the cinema. ”

Cotton shirt, Thom Browne; polyester and polyamide trousers, textile and leather sneakers, all - Yohji Yamamoto

PHOTO RankinSTYLE Vadim Galaganov

A few years ago, Sergei Polunin admitted that leaving the Royal Ballet was also a powerful session of practical psychotherapy for him: they just get kicked out. I have lived in London for half my life, but I do not have citizenship. What will I do in this case?"

Sheepskin coat, zip-up shirt and cotton underpants, all - Dirk Bikkembergs

PHOTO RankinSTYLE Vadim Galaganov

Then Polunin decided not to run from his fears. He did not try to jump over his head, which in his situation is not quite a figure of speech. He did not prove his need for the stage, to kill himself in order to earn the love of managers and the public. He did everything to make the worst happen. And at the same time, he says, he was terribly surprised when, in response to his statements about his readiness to throw himself into the arms magical world movie nothing happened. He slammed the door deafeningly loudly, and the phone was not bursting with offers.

Wool sweater, Dirk Bikkembergs; ballet leotards, ballet shoes, everything is Sergey's property

PHOTO Rankin

The film directed by Stephen Kontor "The Dancer" not only carefully examines Sergei's childhood and adolescence - thanks to these studies, it becomes clear that the questions that Polunin faced with the industry were inevitable - but also tells how the hero was looking for a way out of the impasse into which he had driven himself .

Wool vest and trousers, cotton shirt and cuffs, all - Ann Demeulemeester

PHOTO RankinSTYLE Vadim Galaganov

The meeting with mentor Igor Zelensky turned into not only work in the Stanislavsky and Novate theaters, but also the appearance of a portrait of Zelensky on his shoulder. Acquaintance with the ballerina Natalya Osipova - a categorical tattoo "Natasha" on the knuckles. “In the ballet world, we all know each other, even if we don’t know each other. Given Sergey's reputation, I was sure that I would never work with him, ”Natalia said in their joint interview with The Guardian. Having met in Milan at the rehearsals of Giselle, both were satisfied. “I felt that he was real, that he was the person I could trust,” Natalya said. “When I danced with her, it was one hundred percent real. I would like it to be always like this, ”Sergey echoed her. Before they had time to declare themselves a couple, the ballet world rejoiced - it was obvious to critics, fans and even functionaries: Osipova was able not only to cope with this rebellious temperament, but also to tame, directing in the right professional direction.

Silk bathrobe, Dolce & Gabbana; ballet leotards, ballet shoes, everything is Sergey's property

PHOTO RankinSTYLE Vadim Galaganov

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of meetings with Osipova and Zelensky in Polunin's life, but there was another one, no less important. The author of the idea of "Dancer" and the producer of the picture was Gabriella Tana. For "Phelomena" with Judi Dench, she received an Oscar nomination, and also helped Ralph Fiennes debut in directing with the film adaptation of Shakespeare's "Coriolanus". It was Gaby, as Sergey calls her, who decided that Polunin's claims to a film career were not unfounded. With her filing, he ended up on the same set with Johnny Depp, Jennifer Lawrence and Willem Dafoe. From working meetings with idols, Sergei was delighted, but before that he had to tell in detail, without embellishment and special effects, about himself in the film "Dancer".

Mohair and alpaca sweater, wool trousers, leather derbies, everything - Ann Demeulemeester

PHOTO RankinSTYLE Vadim Galaganov

“At first I didn’t understand why Gaby was doing this. And then I heard her say to someone: “I believe in dance. He is important to all of us. I turn on the music and dance at home myself.” And then I thought: the tribes danced, we dance in clubs, we meet our first love when we dance, when we are joyful, we dance. It is very important. And Gabi is the kind of person who believes that dance and the people in it should be supported. She supported me and gave me the strength to do something for others.”

Sergei Polunin (27 years old) is today a global superstar. At the age of 19, he became the premiere of the Royal Ballet in London, but left this famous stage in less than three years. Despite the fact that Polunin has limited his performances to the minimum to the minimum, he still soars above the stage with such ease that the audience is dumb with delight. He has earned a lot of nicknames: The Bad Boy, James Dean of the ballet, The epitome of jumping beyond. IN Lately he begins to realize another of his dreams - to become an actor. The shooting of the film "Murder on the Orient Express" directed by Kenneth Branagh, where Polunin played along with Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Penelope Cruz, has recently ended.

The general public noticed Polunin at the end of 2014 in the video for the song Take Me To Church by Irish singer Hozier, shot by photographer David LaChapelle. The amazing jumps and pirouettes of the then 24-year-old dancer, covered in tattoos and scars, today scored 20 million views on YouTube. Paradoxically, the Air Force channel also drew attention to Polunin, which became a co-producer of the biographical documentary film Dancer. At the end of May the film will be shown in Czech cinemas.

Polunin was born in 1989 in the Ukrainian city of Kherson on the Black Sea to a Russian-speaking family. At the age of 13, he was accepted into the ballet studio at the Royal Academy in London, and almost immediately they started talking about him as a future star. At the age of 19, he became the premier of the Royal Ballet - the youngest in its history. But less than three years later, he left the scene, and the media began to write about his unbridled lifestyle, full of parties, alcohol and cocaine. He himself admits that he often reinforces his strength with various substances before performances: “Then I don’t feel pain, I fall into a dope and often I don’t even remember how the performance went,” Polunin ingenuously says in a documentary filmed in 2012-2016. Two months ago, the premiere of a large-scale performance Project Polunin took place in the British capital, on which Sergei Polunin worked together with his girlfriend Natalya Osipova. The dancer appeared before the Prague audience on May 1 at the National Theater in the Dancer Live program.

Reflex: You are originally from Ukraine, lived and worked in London for a long time, and then performed in Russia. You spend a lot of time in Los Angeles and have just returned from a tour of Japan. Where do you feel at home?

Sergei Polunin: I often return to London, and despite the fact that I like this city and surprise me every time, I do not consider it my home. So, if you are asking about it, the closest thing to me, perhaps, is Ukraine.

- After you left the Royal Ballet in London in 2012, you danced in Moscow and Novosibirsk for a year and a half. Finally, shortly before the annexation of Crimea by Russian troops, you left. On the wrist of one of your hands you have a tattoo in the form of the coat of arms of Russia, on the other - of Ukraine ...

- I tore off the Russian coat of arms shortly before what happened, as if I had a presentiment of what would happen. I applied the Ukrainian coat of arms later. One way or another, I think it's time for these two countries to get closer again.

It will probably take some time...

- You're right. I would like to help make connections. In Russia, I know influential people. In Novosibirsk, where I lived for a while, people of art, especially ballet, have the privilege of meeting people who usually don't cross paths with each other. You talk to the head of the police, the head of the mafia, the head of the biggest enterprise - in general, with everyone who has power ... In Ukraine, I don’t really have any acquaintances, yet ... So I’m going to go back there.

“We Czechs also have quite fresh memories of Russian expansion. Not even a hundred years have passed since we were occupied by the troops of the Warsaw Pact countries under Soviet leadership. Were you horrified when the war broke out in eastern Ukraine?

- I am from the Russian-speaking part of the country, and there are absolutely the same people as those who live in Russia. In addition, I think that, for example, even between Russia and America there are no special differences. I firmly believe that we must abolish borders. It tires me to show visas everywhere, and when I arrive somewhere, I don’t care what it’s called: Europe, the Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine or the USA ...

- You say that you don’t feel at home in London, but you live there with your girlfriend, soloist of the Royal Ballet Natalia Osipova. What do you think about Brexit?

- Again, not what I wanted happened. In general, everyone in my environment is unhappy with this.

— Could you compare the conditions created for the art of ballet in different parts of the world? In the BBC documentary The Dancer, you say that dancers in London can't afford to rent an apartment, and that they live as four or five people in one apartment...

“When I was dancing in London, none of us could even afford to have a proper dinner. I plowed like a horse. I was a soloist, but I couldn't buy a car, let alone extravagant things. The same begins in Russia. Previously, it was customary to give an apartment to those who are part of the troupe. However, termless contracts are being abandoned, and contracts are extended for only a year, including at the Bolshoi Theater and the Stanislavsky Theater. It is not easy for a person of art to live in Russia. Just like a dancer at the Royal Ballet. In my time, dancers there received a thousand pounds a month, and for the first year I was paid two and a half thousand as a soloist.

Was that the main reason for leaving the Royal Ballet?

- Yes and no. I wasn't that interested in money, I was young and didn't really need it. But it seemed strange to me that dancers are rarely seen on TV. I asked myself why they do not appear, for example, in advertising? I think this is due to ballet politics. We were constantly told that agents - bad people that they will only suck money out of us. Today in the world of ballet, everything is decided by several directors of ballet scenes. And who else should protect our interests, if not our agents? If you are not visible in the media, you do not earn enough money, then you can be easily manipulated. I think that dancers (not only considering the time spent on preparation) deserve the same recognition as, for example, actors, not to mention athletes. It seems to me this way for a long time, but the idea that I should change everything came to my mind only after a conversation with David LaChapelle. He asked me, “How is it possible that you don’t have your own manager? For example, at opera singers have their own agents in different countries, then why shouldn't dance stars have them too? So I recently created my own project...

— Do you mean Project Polunin?

- Yes. I even got into conflict with my own employees. They told me: “What are you doing? Why do you want to pay dancers more when they usually get paid £300 a week?” Yes, this is the standard, but that is why none of the star dancers, even at the end of their career, can afford to buy their own apartment.

- The premiere of Project Polunin took place in London two months ago. You have returned to the London ballet scene after five years. When you left, they wrote about you that you were behaving unbridledly, that you could not be relied upon. How are you received now?

— The Take Me To Church video helped me a lot. Before that, there were some rather strange rumors about me.

- It is known that people of art can behave wildly, and promoters and the public are attracted to this.

- But this does not apply to the ballet world. If you behave like this, you are going against the system. The people who organize ballet events, that is, theater directors, do what is good for them, not what is good for the performers. Two hours after I spoke to the director of the Royal Ballet, he made a statement that I was an unreliable dancer, and at that moment I had not even really realized that I was leaving ... Also, after many years spent in the UK, they canceled my visa, which created for me, a foreigner not from the European Union, big problems. Suddenly I found myself in a country without a residence permit, although I had lived there for almost ten years. I thought that I would go to New York, but they were afraid of fairy tales about me, so in the end I was glad when I received an invitation from Russia. Recently, in Japan, I was asked about this again, saying: "You are a real professional." This is a strange half-light.

- In the final part of the performance of Project Polunin, you dance with Natalia Osipova in a composition called Narcissus and Echo. Is it about you?

— So thought the London critics. To be honest, it wasn't even my idea. The performance is based on the idea that different artists fulfill their own desires. Concerning ancient Greek myth about Narcissus and Echo, then such a wish was fulfilled by Ilan Eshkeri (a London-based composer who collaborated, for example, with David Gilmour, Annie Lennox and Amon Tobin; is the author of music for David Attenborough's documentaries, and is now preparing a large-scale ballet project with Polunin and LaChapelle - ed.). Eshkeri has long wanted to compose music on this theme. My project was born quite difficult, because I had to work together with several "egos" at once. Yes, don't laugh, bringing together so many personalities so that they work together perfectly is probably the most difficult thing that I have had to organize.

Does David LaChapelle have a big ego?

Context

Ballet: work with passion

Yle 07/16/2016

Americans pay tribute to Russian art

Russian service "Voice of America" 17.07.2015

Big shifts in ballet Bolshoi Theater

The Telegraph UK 15.07.2013
“Perhaps you won’t believe me, but he didn’t seem like an “egomaniac” to me at all, although everyone around him was terribly afraid. Our collaboration was born thanks to the manager Gabriel Tana and David LaChapelle's assistant Milos Garayda, who in 2014 at David's vernissage in London had the idea to shoot together a video for the song Take Me To Church.

- The moment when LaChapelle offered you cooperation in London's Claridge's hotel, you described it like this: “I was completely at the bottom and lost. Then there was a dark streak in my life. I hated ballet and knew that this would be my last dance. Doubts there was no choice.” And suddenly a world-famous photographer invited you to shoot on the Hawaiian island of Maui…

“He is a wonderful person and it was incredibly easy to work with him. He knew how to listen well to the needs of the dancer. We still keep in touch. And we value each other's opinions.

- Was LaChapelle the person who opened the door for you in Los Angeles to Hollywood film producers?

- Rather, I was brought closer to them by the fact that he shot a video for Take Me To Church with me. This clip really helped me. At parties in Hollywood, it happened that some famous director or actor came up to me and said: "I'm incredibly glad to see you, my wife told me about your video." It was exactly the same in London, where they suddenly began to accept me again. Representatives of the Air Force wanted to participate in the film "Dancer", which was already being created. It's actually unbelievable: one thing as small as a four-minute video, and all of a sudden so much stuff happens...

You recently starred in a movie with Johnny Depp. What does it feel like to trade a ballet scene for a camera world?

Cinema is a wonderful medium. When I left the Royal Ballet, I asked myself a natural question: what's next? I didn't want to be just a dancer. Five years ago, Gabriela, the producer of the film Dancer, offered me to study at an acting school, but then I still did not want to completely abandon my dancing career. And now, about six months ago, such a chance appeared, literally from nowhere ... I even starred in two American films at the same time. It's hard to say which one is better. In the first one, in Red Sparrow, starring Jennifer Lawrence, I played a dancer. At the same time, Kenneth Branagh approached me with an offer to star in the film "Murder on the Orient Express" (a new version of Agatha Christie's detective filmed many times; the premiere of the film is scheduled for this fall - ed.) with Johnny Depp. Branagh suggested it to me, a man who really wanted to be an actor but didn't have any training. On the first day I came to the set, and already in the first scene, which was filmed on the train, Willem Dafoe was sitting opposite me, and Derek Jacobi was sitting next to me, Michelle Pfeiffer was a little way off, and Penelope Cruz was behind me. They had no idea that this was my first real movie scene! Such legends! Kenneth simply said, "Get started!" And I played without preparation. Like being thrown like a four-year-old into the water and told, “Swim!” Only then did I understand the huge difference between ballet and acting in a movie, where every slightest movement means an incredible amount.

- Probably the only famous dancer who has achieved success on the silver screen is Mikhail Baryshnikov.

But he was still a dancer. I want to someday be considered not a dancer who plays, but a real actor ... I have already received the next great offer. Acting makes me happy and helps me develop in the ballet - I hope you don't mind if I say so - industry.

You say that acting makes you happy. What makes you unhappy?

- When nothing happens. It's horrible. When one day I have nothing to do, I am depressed. I need to be constantly busy with something, to fight for something ...

The materials of InoSMI contain only assessments of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editors of InoSMI.

The British press called Sergei Polunin "the bad guy." Representatives of Russian newspapers gossip about the personal life of an outright rebel. And the dancer himself, who by the age of 28 managed to achieve heights in one form of art and began to master a new genre for himself, is simply looking for his own place in the world.

Childhood and youth

On November 20, 1989, in the city of Kherson, a joyful event took place in the Polunin family. A boy was born, whom happy parents named Sergei. Already at the age of 3, the baby was sent to a gymnastic school, where the teacher immediately appreciated both the plasticity of the child and the delicate ear for music.

After 5 years, Sergei's family decided to transfer their son to a choreographic school. A couple of months after the transfer, Polunin was already recognized as the best student. The first ballet classes did not arouse the boy's interest. In later interviews, Sergey admitted that he dreamed of an injury so that he would no longer dance.

At the age of 8, the boy is transferred to the choreographic school in Kyiv. Together with her son, Galina Polunina also leaves Kherson. To pay for the child's education and life in the capital of Ukraine, Vladimir Polunin leaves for construction in Portugal, and the boy's grandmother gets a job as a nurse.

The work of adults has not been in vain. At the age of 13, the young Ukrainian dancer takes a prize in the Serge Lifar International Competition. And a year later, Sergei moved to London to continue his studies at the Royal Ballet School. The teenager went to the UK already alone.

In a new country for himself, the novice dancer still did not allow himself to slow down. In 2006, the artist reaches the final international competition Prize of Lausanne. The success and perseverance of the young man was appreciated. At the age of 17, Sergei Polunin officially joins the ballet company of the Royal Theater in Covent Garden.

Ballet

It would seem that the dream that Polunin aspired to since childhood has come true. But once setting himself the goal of becoming the best in dance, Sergey does not stop there. At 19, a ballet dancer is appointed to the main parts in productions. A hard-working boy from Ukraine becomes the premiere of the famous theater, and the youngest in the history of the troupe. With a height of 180 cm, a 65-kilogram dancer easily soars into the air, seemingly ignoring the law of gravity.

Such a brilliant biography takes a sharp turn in 2011. During the next rehearsal, Sergei leaves the dance hall and no longer returns to the walls of the Royal Theater. Newspaper headlines express theories about the unstable psyche of the dancer and illegal substances, the use of which Sergey did not hide.

The truth turned out to be more difficult. The decision to leave the theater matured with the artist for a long time. Therefore, in the eyes of Polunin, there was no surprise in the impulse. The young man is tired of the routine and injustice that the representatives of the ballet feel every day.

There was a lull in the career and personal life of the dancer. But not in creativity. An introverted man who devoted much of his time to ballet is close to former gangster Anthony Lammin.

The dancer and the criminal were united by the love of drawings on the body. For Polunin, tattoos are also a kind of art. Therefore, the artist is happy to help a friend open a salon on the outskirts of London and, together with Anthony, is developing the business.

At some point, Sergei decided that he had completed his career, but in 2012 the man came to Moscow. To move to Russia, Polunin was prompted by the desire to perform on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. The talent and perseverance of the young man immediately attracted the attention of Igor Zelensky - artistic director theatre.

Without delay and long agreements, Sergei takes the place of the premiere at the Bolshoi, while simultaneously performing on the stage of the Opera and Ballet Theater in Novosibirsk. Two years later, when the novelty of sensations has dulled, the artist again goes to free swimming, changing the place of the main dancer to the role of a guest star.

Sergei Polunin in advertising "Dior Homme"

In search of new inspiration, Polunin agrees to take part in the filming of Hozier's "Take Me to Church" video, directed by David LaChapelle. The video was followed by a "Dior Homme" commercial directed by Bruce Weber.

The work in front of the camera impressed the artist so much that Sergey moved to Hollywood. Polunin set himself a new goal - to become a sought-after actor. The first works in a new field, like everything an artist does, are distinguished by their scale. Released in 2016 documentary"Dancer", which tells about the life of a man from a young age.

Trailer of the film about Sergei Polunin "Dancer"

Polunin wanted to put special emphasis on the small viewer. Sergei believes that with the popularization of this art form, ballet will become more democratic.

In 2017, the artist made his debut in a feature film. In the film, the man played the role of Count Andrenyi. The artist admitted that he was worried about the lack of experience, so free time spent a careful study of the work of colleagues -, and.

Despite the new hobby, the artist does not say goodbye to the art of dancing completely. Since 2016, the dancer has been a guest soloist at the Bavarian Ballet.

In parallel with the release of the detective, the world premiere of "Project Polunin" took place, where Sergey acted as a choreographer. The first performance took place on March 14, 2017 and included several excerpts from well-known productions: “Icarus. The Night Before the Flight" and "Narcissus and Echo".

Personal life

Sergey Polunin often expresses his own emotional attachment with the help of tattoos. On the back of the artist is the inscription "I'm sorry, tiger cub", dedicated to the dancer's unknown beloved. The tattoo is decorated with scars that mimic scratches. By the way, Polunin inflicted cuts on himself.

It is known for certain about the affair of the rebel with the ballerina Helen Crawford. The couple spent two years together, but after the girl's statement about joint children, Sergei ended the relationship. A year later, the man began to appear frequently in public with another representative of the ballet, Yulia Stolyarchuk. True, confirmation romantic relationship between the artists was not found.

The artist dedicated the tattoo on the hand "Natasha". Young people met in 2015 at the rehearsals of Giselle. The leading party was assigned to the ballet dancer David Holberg, but the man was seriously injured. the main role went to Sergei, and during long rehearsals, feelings arose between the dancers.

Sergei Polunin now

In an interview for Vogue magazine, Sergey admitted that he dreams of making a film about a dancer who can no longer perform. It seems to a man that the psychological state of such a person will be interesting to the viewer.

Sergei Polunin for Vogue magazine. Source - Vogue official website

The artist plans to create a charitable foundation that helps talented children. Now the man is thinking about creating his own dance school. In the meantime, fans of the talented dancer are waiting for the onset of May 2018 - the premiere of the spy thriller "Red Sparrow" will take place in Russian cinemas, in which Polunin performed minor role.

Sergey does not cover what is happening in his personal life. In May 2017, the press was flooded with rumors that the beautiful Polunin-Osipov couple broke up. Journalists spread the news that the ballerina left the novice actor for an unknown conductor. But fresh photos on Polunin's official account show the couple posing together on the red carpet.