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Dancer Godunov’s life to be made into film

by Alina Lobzina at 21/11/2012

The story of ballet dancer Alexander Godunov, who defected from the Soviet Union during a U.S. tour, is to be told in a new four-part film, the show’s Russian production company said on Wednesday.

Godunov’s wife, Lyudmila Vlasova, also a former soloist of the Bolshoi ballet company, has agreed to become a consultant for the project, Central Partnership said in a press-release.

She has already started working with screenwriters, answering their questions for several hours in a row, the 70-year-old ballet star said. “I will keep on helping them further on. For some reason, I’m sure they will write a very good screenplay,” she was quoted as saying on the company’s website.

Cold War saga

The story of the ballet couple dates back to the Cold War era and caused a diplomatic scandal between the Soviet Union and the United States.

While touring with the Bolshoi ballet in New York in 1979, Godunov left his wife in a hotel room and never came back.

Later, at a press-conference with the help of poet Josef Brodsky, he voiced his decision to stay in the United States.

His revelations, translated by the soon-to-be literary Nobel Prize winner, who settled in the United States after being expelled from the Soviet Union, became a shock to everyone, including Vlasova.

But her wish to return to the homeland fueled speculations that behind the couple’s separation was the Soviet KGB. Godunov tried to arrange a meeting with her, but with no success.

Vlasova was put on a flight to Moscow, but the U.S. authorities refused to issue permission for take-off. No other member of the troupe was sent back after the scandal broke out.

The whole story lasted for three days, after she finally left New York and Godunov stayed in the United States where he continued his ballet career and started acting. He starred as a henchman in the first “Die Hard” film, among others.  

‘Yevgeny Onegin’

by Ayano Hodouchi at 12/05/2011

The Bolshoi’s controversial production of “Yevgeny Onegin” returns to the stage next week.

Young director Dmitry Cherniakov’s staging of the Russian classic has received mixed reviews abroad, while back at home, opera diva Galina Vishnevskaya vowed never to set foot in the Bolshoi again when she saw it – having sung the role of Tatyana countless times on the stage there, she felt justified in having strong opinions about it.

Cherniakov’s treatment of the characters isn’t particularly subtle, portraying Tatyana as a repressed girl who alternates between a sullen poker-face and hysterical outbursts (which include throwing around heavy chairs). His staging jars, especially in contrast to Tchaikovsky’s sweet and sentimental music.

The redeeming feature of the show is baritone Vasily Ladyuk, who sings the title role on May 17 and 19. In most performances, the playboy Onegin comes across as something of a wooden dummy, but Ladyuk makes a convincing hero; enormously selfish in the beginning, callously driving his friend Lensky to a jealous frenzy and killing him in a duel, then allowing his monstrous ego to drive him into pursuing Tatyana once she became a married lady of impeccable rank and wealth.

Translate the words and phrases:

press-release -

 she was quoted -

expel –

 fuel -

1. Surf the Internet and find the names of Russian ballet-dancers.
2. Surf the Internet and say what ballets Alexander Godunov took part in.
3. Translate the text “Yevgeny Onegin “.

Translate the words and phrases:

Controversial –

she felt justified –

Cherniakov’s treatment of the characters –

 subtle-

 who alternates between a sullen poker-face and hysterical outbursts (which include throwing around heavy chairs) –

His staging jars-

The redeeming feature –

callously driving his friend Lensky to a jealous frenzy and killing him in a duel-

 pursuing-