Biography
Who is Sergei Polunin?
Early Life and Training
Sergei Polunin was born in Kherson, Ukraine, on November 20, 1989. Early in his childhood, he trained at a gymnastics academy from the age of four until he was eight years old. Afterward, he shifted his focus to ballet and spent four years studying at the Kyiv State Choreographic Institute.
To support his training, his mother moved with him to Kyiv, while his father worked abroad in Portugal. At the age of 13 in 2003, Sergei Polunin moved to the United Kingdom to attend the Royal Ballet School, where he received support from the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation.
Rise to Fame
During his training and early career, Sergei Polunin earned several well-known honors, including the Prix de Lausanne and the Youth America Grand Prix in 2006. In 2007, he was named the Young British Dancer of the Year. He continued to advance within the company, becoming a first soloist in 2009.
In June 2010, at the age of 20, Sergei Polunin achieved a major milestone by becoming the Royal Ballet's youngest ever male principal dancer. Reviewers praised his strong technique and prominent roles, such as the Knave in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 2011.
Freelance Career and Projects
In January 2012, Sergei Polunin announced his resignation from the Royal Ballet to pursue other artistic opportunities. He subsequently moved to Russia to work as a principal dancer with the Stanislavsky Music Theatre and the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Over the following years, Sergei Polunin performed as a guest artist at major venues worldwide, including the Royal Opera House, La Scala, and the Bolshoi Theatre. He also collaborated with photographer David LaChapelle, appearing in a widely viewed dance video for the song Take Me to Church by Hozier in 2015.
Polunin Ink and Productions
In 2017, Sergei Polunin established Project Polunin, which later became known as Polunin Ink in 2018. The organization was created to produce new ballet and stage works in collaboration with contemporary artists, musicians, and choreographers.
Under this banner, Sergei Polunin introduced several productions in 2019, including Rasputin, a staging of Romeo and Juliet in Verona, and Little Red and the Wolf. He also received the Prize of the President of the Russian Federation for Young Cultural Figures in 2023.
Birthday and age
Sergei Polunin was born on November 20, 1989, which makes Sergei 36 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. Sergei shares the date with 30 other famous people.
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