Russia's Bolshoi calls off premiere of Nureyev ballet

Record ID: 898754

  • Title: Russia's Bolshoi calls off premiere of Nureyev ballet
  • Date: 10th July 2017
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JULY 10, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF BOLSHOI THEATRE PEOPLE POSING FOR PICTURE NEAR FOUNTAIN CLOSE TO BOLSHOI THEATRE PIGEONS IN FOUNTAIN BOLSHOI THEATRE, FLOWERS
  • Embargoed: 24th July 2017 14:52
  • Keywords: Russia Bolshoi Theatre ballet world premiere Nureyev Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev director Kirill Serebrennikov
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Theater
  • Reuters ID: LVA0056P4VOZR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The long awaited world premiere of the ballet about a famous Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev, one of the first Soviet artists to defect to the West, was due to be held on Tuesday (July 11), but the Bolshoi Theatre postponed it saying on its website late on Saturday (July 8) it would not take place.
    Vladimir Urin, the theatre's director general, told a news conference on Monday (July 10) it had been pulled because rehearsals had shown it was not ready. He said it would be staged in May next year instead.
    However, Russian TASS news agency cited a spokeswoman for Vladimir Medinsky, the culture minister, as saying he had spoken to the theatre about Nureyev.
    "Yes there was a long conversation with Urin," TASS cited Irina Kaznacheeva, the spokeswoman, as saying. "But a ban is not the ministry's working style." She said she did not know details of the conversation.
    However, TASS cited a source close to the culture ministry as saying the production had been postponed because Medinsky had been concerned it violated a law designed to prevent the promotion of homosexuality to minors, though children under 18 are not allowed to attend evening performances and tickets for "Nureyev" ballet had "18+" written on them.
    Under the legislation, which the European Court of Human Rights ruled last month breached European treaty rules, any event or act regarded by the authorities as an attempt to promote homosexuality to minors is illegal and punishable by a fine.
    The law has been used to stop gay pride marches and to detain gay rights activists.
    The postponement has caused a scandal in Moscow.
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