Dancers fought to be free

Press, 23 July 1976, Page 4

Dancers fought to be free

It is two years since Gaand Valery Panov, former stars of the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, left their native Russia. For the two years before that they were artistically dead, since for two such artists to be denied tar right to practise and to dance is to kill them. The coupie applied in March, 1972, for permission to emigrate to Israel. They were summarily dismissed from the company and told they coulff not leave Russia. Then began a two-year struggle to be free, during which time they could not dance and had to be content with makeshift practice apparatus in their home. The Panovs arrived in Christchurch yesterday with the Australian Ballet Victoria, a the end of an exhausttng three-month tour of Australia and New Zealand. The company will give six perf >nr.inces in the Theatre Royal, beginning this evening. Spea'r’ng through an interpreter. Valery Panov said that they had been “virtually killed" during the two years they could not dance in Russia. “To be alive is to dance." he said. The Panovs will dance in Stravinsky's “Petrouchka”, with Valery Panov in the' title role. The role has run through his life like a theme — it was as Petrouchka in the 1961 revival of the ballet that he first established himself as a prominent dancer in Russia He said that he liked the role because it was a most creative one. “It is a genius work, a masterpiece". The cifferer.ce between ballet m Russia and ballet in the West was that In Russia everything was done more seriously over all and was aimed at a dancing profession, he said. Dancers could only “make it” if thev had a love of dance and had the gift ft The standard was very high. Tn the West, ha said, if a person had the money, he could learn ballet, even if he!

had little gift for it. Such a thing wav not possible in Russia. Why go to Australia and the Ballet Victoria? It was not th ar decision but their manager’s, was the reply. Galina Panov said that they would take a holiday after they left the tour at the •*nd ot the Christchurch performances. They would travel to Hong Kong and BangKOK, and then on to Israel *o visit friends. The Panovs hope soon to dance in New York, where they have not yet performed together. Valery Panov, when asked about future plans, said: “After Russia, we make no plans." The first news that the Panovs were seeking permission to emigrate to Israel came in March, 1972. In June that year, both applications were returned to the Panovs and at the same time Valery Panov was sentenced to 15 days detention for allegedly spitting at a policeman. He had just completed a 10-day sentence on a similar charge. The Panovs persisted in their attempts. In November, 1972, Galina Panov told foreign correspondents in Moscow that their papers for emigration to Israel had been accepted by the visa office in Leningrad. But this was not permission to leave. Galina Panov then said that her husband would continue a hunger strike until this was obtained. The hunger strike lasted 21 days. Valery Panov had said he would begin another when he was well enough, if they still did not have permission to leave Russia. In December, 1973, 20 months after they first applied, Valery Panov was told he could leave for Israel the next month but that his wife must stay behind in Russia. He is a Jew but his wife is not. Galina Panov was told that she could not leave because her mother had forbidden it. She replied in January. 1974. in ag open letteri

t_> the Soviet Priine Minister (Mr Kosygin), later smuggled to the West, that her mother nad no right in law to keep her in Russia. “The secret of the creative actor is very personal,” said Galina Panov in her letter, “No government in the whole world could consider this as a danger to the State.” Valery Panov was reported in May, 1974, as telling foreign correspondents that he feared the authorities were trying to force him to leave without his wife so that they could blacken him for “deserting” iher.

Then early in June that year, Soviet sources announced that they would both have exit visas. During the whole two years, there had been organised opposition to their captivity from famous artists of the theatre in the West. Opposition had been particularly strong and persistent in England.

On June 14, 1974, the Panovs flew out of Russia and arrived in Vienna. The ordeal was over, and they could live again. No-one could ever know that wonderful feeling as they boarded their plane and flew out of Russia. Valerv Panov: ,said.