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Irek Mukhamedov
Royal Ballet Principal by Jane Simpson & Bruce Marriott | ||||||||||||
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Mukhamedov is very aware of his status as a world star, and as the interview unfolds and the words flow, you realise just what determination means at this level and how proud he is of what he does in ballet - not conceit but sheer pride. We are talking drive with an A1*** rating and the expectations from life and from others that go with it. Rather famously, Ismene Brown (of The Daily Telegraph) interviewed him and was transfixed by his thighs on stage and off - "Michelangelo thighs"
We meet at the Barbican Theatre just before the Royal Ballet season there. He speaks with a pronounced accent, sometimes searching for the right words. But at other times a better thought comes along and a new sentence stamps over the remnants of the old and a torrent of observations emerge. Mukhamedov is putting the finishing touches to his Satan solo from "Job" (for the de Valois gala) and as the lead in the new Page. We naturally start with the new Ashley Page ballet - Cheating, Lying, Stealing - created for Viviana Durante and Mukhamedov and to be premiered at the Barbican. Their partnership in the dramatic ballets (MacMillan particularly) is widely regarded as the best of their generation and they came top in our first readers' poll. Few can smoulder quite like Viviana and Irek. He starts innocently by saying that Page has put in "a suggestion of a relationship", which sounds fine at the time, but then goes on to elaborate ".. he is taking our characters, our relationship in life,
Unfortunately he went on to say "It's not that obviously, but he is taking the power and the passion we have on stage, ... and making some points on it." Shame. On the overall partnership with Durante he says "both Viviana and me wanted on stage to be more open, more relaxed. We really wanted to help each other; it works. Every dramatic and passionate ballet I'm happy to do with Viviana. With nobody else yet." As he says, it is a partnership that works and is highly respected, but Mukhamedov believes that it is not for all ballets, particularly some of the classics. "I could do Sleeping Beauty with Viviana BUT I can be anorexic and I will still look big behind her. So sometimes it is better not to do that, knowing that people will accept but they talk 'oh he's big...'. So it's better not to have that at all. It's better to do the dramatic things where we can take people on stage with us and it doesn't matter how we look, and it's really not important." Of the 'other girls' Lesley Collier was perhaps the best partnership, though alas she retired before it had been going long enough to develop to the full. She is remembered with particular affection and he certainly brought out in her some performances of rare quality at the end of a long career - she blossomed. "It worked - I don't know... we rehearse in the studio and we don't need to even talk with each other.. which level we put our arms - up, down whatever. They come automatically together". He very much regrets that she has now departed the Royal, and he has never found another partner who complements him so well in the classics. Apart from his own loss, he sees a real need for her to be used in the company: "Her experience in the ballet, her style could give so much in the Royal Ballet. Because I'm sure the Royal Ballet need someone to explain to our girls what is really Royal Ballet style. Lesley, she knows that." Mukhamedov would have loved more time with Lesley and wishes he had 'defected' - interesting that he still uses that word - sooner. It would also have allowed him more time with "Kenneth". If Irek brought out new qualities in Lesley Collier, it was Kenneth MacMillan who stimulated him and liberated the dramatic Mukhamedov we see today. "When we met at the Royal Ballet, I realise he's really very kind and simple human being. Just suddenly I saw in him like my Angel, somebody from God who lifted me up, to give something to me, and I was really open for it, I was ready to give out too." "What surprised me when we worked on the pas de deux (Winter Dreams), he wasn't pressurised by my technical ability, for him it wasn't so important. For him it was how I explained the
MacMillan's untimely death affected Mukhamedov deeply, both as a friend and mentor but also as a provider of opportunity within the Royal. "I lost a feeling of 'I needed in the company'. It's like when Kenneth was with us I knew next ballet Kenneth will bring for me. Next ballet Kenneth will think
As if to underline the point Mukhamedov belatedly knows now that MacMillan was planning to make substantial changes to the role of Rasputin (in Anastasia) for him. Currently it is something of a stiff walk-about role and it would have been fascinating to see what would have emerged had MacMillan lived. The relationship with MacMillan and other choreographers highlights the importance of new work: "I like the time in the studio to really create. That most exiting time. Maybe it will not work on stage - maybe the audience will not understand - maybe it's kind of a mistake, maybe it's not right. But what happens in studio, that is incredible" Unfortunately MacMillan's death also corresponded with the start of greater financial difficulties for the Opera House and the Royal Ballet has clearly cut back on new work. Mukhamedov talks graphically and with some passion on the impact on dancers; "... it's always in a ballet dancer's career that if you do something new, it always keep you alive, rather than do the same all the time - say what we did in the Bolshoi. All the time expecting something new and in the end it just become too boring. It's the same situation here now." "It looks like now we have really ordinary life. We losing our interest, we are losing our days, we are losing our power day by day." Without new work "the rest of it are just ordinary days - nothing exciting". At 38, losing days is something that Mukhamedov can't afford to do. To keep on top he needs to dance every day and to warm himself up "..not just jump in like I did when I was young - jump in and show myself off, and throw myself around, - and it's all perfect!" And with age comes a more thoughtful approach: "It goes more through my mind rather than instinct tell me jump, and I jump! Now it more through brain." But overall he believes that barriers are physiological and he has an appetite for lots more dance yet; he even jokes that he wants to go on until he is 100! The appetite and push also help him in adversity and we asked about the problems with his back. "I'm always saying to myself anything what happens is only for good. So perhaps if I had never had this injury with my back, I would not have learned to push myself even harder, never be able to go over that pain, never be able to understand better things in the ballet life. Problems give me strength to understand myself much more better - in a good way rather than I cannot do, and I'm suffering, and I'm crying, and I sit in the corner and nobody can come to me. I start fighting even more." Discipline and drive seem to be at the centre of his life and success. Certainly his advice to would-be dancers is that they need discipline not
Being a good father, he expects ("It's my responsibility") high standards from his children too!. Sasha, the elder of the two, has just got a place at the Arts Education School in Tring and both he and Masha are thrilled to bits for her. "So she will do ballet, drama, acting, singing - everything. This is incredible for open mind. We are *very* happy" And after the interview he is set to race home to his wife and family (and the new Alsatian puppy!). All a far cry from the wilder, Bolshoi Mukhamedov who enjoyed all the earthly delights except family. The Mukhamedov of today wants to dance and give much more back to ballet for many more years yet. It's a sadness that with the move to Guest Artist with the Royal Ballet his access to new work there is effectively closing: "So it will be more time for my own company rather than to spend so much time in the Royal Ballet and do so little!". He is programmed to dance and nothing, not even financial difficulties, can stop that! There will also be more time for guesting elsewhere and working in the wider worldwide pool. One of the early collaborations will be with Kim Brandstrup who has invited Mukhamedov to create the lead in his new 'Don Juan'. We get to see it next year and it follows their collaboration on 'Othello' of a few years ago, which was well received. Guesting is fine, but Mukhamedov in his own company and elsewhere seeks new works and he regrets the relative lack of good dramatic choreographers who can give him the food he and other dancers need. So has he considered producing some choreography? "I have worked with Grigorovich and MacMillan - it's just a waste of my time! I cannot jump higher than MacMillan. It's no point to think about this." He believes he can create for himself... the problem is choreographing for others and it is unlikely for the time being that we will see much from him. A future in teaching or coaching is possible, but he really believes that he is capable of doing much more for ballet and he would love to direct a company full time when he is no longer able to dance principal roles. He is not interested in branching into modern dance either, say for example as Baryshnikov has done with White Oak Dance Project. For Mukhamedov it is only classical dance. Simple really! At the end one is left amazed at the possibilities of Mukhamedov and the sheer determination of the man. Without western reserve, he demands
He is now entering a new phase in his career and while giving us lots more dancing pleasure yet it will be interesting to see how he achieves what he wants and needs for the future. Whatever the way forward let's all hope that we see even more of him in the UK.
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