CULTURE
Free A Life in Images and Words Sergei Polunin, foreword by Dame Helen Mirren and Albert Watson, OBE The early life path of Ukraine-born Sergei Polunin was akin to a dancer’s fairy-tale. A precocious talent. Ballet training in Kiev. Admission to the Royal Ballet School in London at 13. First solo performance at the Royal Ballet at 19. At 20, promotion to the youngest ever principal. Then, at 21, a sudden rupture took place: the superstar Polunin moved on. What could have been the end of an incredible career became another beginning. The dancer met new mentors, went to Russia followed by other countries, conquered fresh audiences and new art forms. Today he is known not only as a dancer and creator of his own productions, but also as an actor and artist. In this autobiographical book, Polunin presents a stunning selection of photographs from his life and work, but also carries his readers behind the scenes, through his own unique voice sharing the emotional highs and lows of his journey. Along the way, he recounts why he quit alcohol and drugs, why he once took steroids, and the time he laughed so hard on stage that he forgot the dance steps.
An intimate encounter with the enfant terrible of ballet, with a comprehensive selection of photos from Polunin’s life on and off stage.
“Giselle is my favorite ballet. For me, the second act is the most beautiful, subtle and deep act there is in ballet.” Photo © Victor Dmitriev
9783961713370 teNeues Verlag GmbH 314 x 245mm. 272pp., 343 col., 120 b.&w Available £45.00, Hardback
“A production based on Grigori Rasputin, the infamous Russian mystic who had a close relationship with Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra.” Photo © Luca Vantusso
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