Last week, Sergei Polunin’s powerful entrance in Marguerite and Armand was saluted with a wave of electrically charged silence: not a cough, not a sound, all eyes glued to the stage. Whether viewers held their breath because they were waiting to see if the star who stormed out of the Royal Ballet still had it, or because they were genuinely impressed, is difficult to say. Personally, I was struck by that first appearance, as it confirmed that since leaving the company amid accusations, allegations and gossip Polunin has refined his already exceptional interpretative and technical skills. His charismatic Armand is the perfect reading of the role for today. This passionate lover is brought fully to life through an ingenious artistic response to the demands and constraints of the 1963 ballet. Polunin’s Armand is second to none, not least to Rudolf Nureyev’s, the first interpreter, whom Polunin has far too often and unjustly been pitched against — an anachronistic and absurd comparison treasured by nostalgic balletomanes who live in a world of their own.
Polunin’s awesome performance was perfectly matched by Tamara Rojo’s Marguerite.
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