For ballet lovers, Christmas is often a time of indulgence, with a lot of dance companies putting up festive shows. In Athens, The Nutcracker is on at the Megaron, one of our opera houses, featuring principal dancers from the Bolshoi.
I do not consider myself a connaisseur of ballet but, as most people, I do love a performance by an outstanding artist.
Some years ago, I watched Baryshnikov dance at the ancient Herodion Atticus theatre in Athens, on a moonlit summer night. To see him literally flying across that stage was a breathtaking spectacle, and I’ve not seen a male dancer of that caliber since.
So when I came across this video of Sergei Polunin, performing in a barn to the sounds of the song ‘Take me to church’, I thought I’d post it here as a little Christmas gift for all you ballet lovers out there.
Sergei Polunin was born in the Ukraine and started dancing at age three, pushed by his mother who hoped it would be a way for him to escape their difficult existence. The pressure put upon him by his extraordinary talent made for many ups and downs in his life, including quitting the Royal Ballet at just 21, despite having had the best roles laid at his feet. Fortunately, after trying different things such as acting, he always seems to return to ballet.
The ‘Take me to Church’ video went viral, but it is a showy piece of work for someone who is, above all, a true purist of classical dance. That is why I am also posting a more conventional clip of him dancing in Swan Lake.
Enjoy.
Letters from Athens 
What a wonderful gift! Thank you for sharing.
And wishing you a happy and hopeful holiday season. xxx
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And the same to you, Anne. I’m glad you enjoyed it.🎄
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I went to the ballet a few times, during trips to the Soviet Union. I haven’t been since, as ticket prices in London were ridiculously high.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I know – it’s crazy, for the theatre also… Such a shame, and a bad policy. Art should be affordable for all.
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Marina – thank you most sincerely for the Yule gift of these two videos. I fell in love with classical ballet at the age of six when my parents took me to see ‘Swan Lake’ – I believe I ‘refused’ to leave the theatre calling out ‘more’ and that has never stopped. Polunin is new to me: what wonderful light legwork. Oh ‘Swan Lake’ still charms as an old friend but his ‘Take me to Church’ will be watched over and over . . . .
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It’s amazing how some can become airborne while the rest of us can only plod around…
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I must confess, I loved the raw energy and athleticism of Take Me to Church. In Swan Lake, he looked a little as if he still had most of his power and energy in reserve…
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I suppose it’s the choreography too. Perhaps he’ll turn to modern dance eventually, who knows…
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I’m not a ballet fan, but I did enjoy the clip from Swan Lake. Katechiconi said he looked as if he had power and energy in reserve, but he’s still got a lot of dancing to do. Pacing yourself when you’re dancing a complete ballet is not the same as giving everything in three minutes.
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True…
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I love ballet – thank you for spotlighting this dancer.
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I once had aspirations to be a ballet dancer – although it only lasted between ages 3 to 11 🙂
I love Hozier and a perfectly sculpted man in tights is never a hardship to watch so thank you for that.
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😊
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I am happy to see, not only a fellow greek person but also somebody that understands th art of dance without being proffesional dancer himself. I thank you.
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That video of Take Me to Church is so beautiful! What a powerful representation of dance!
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