Ukrainian ballet dancer Sergei Polunin, the so-called “bad boy of ballet,” has been dropped from a production by the Paris Opera after making a series of offensive posts on his Instagram page.
In a series of offensive Instagram posts Polunin called for men to “man up” and realize they are wolves, lions and leaders of their family who are supposed to take care of everything.
“Man what’s wrong with you? Females now trying take on the male role because you don’t f*ck them and because you are an embarrassment,” one of his posts reads.
Since November 2018, when the dancer started publishing offensive posts, thousands stopped following his profile on Instagram.
The offensive posts have also affected Polunin’s career.
On Jan. 10, the Paris Opera stated that Polunin had been invited to perform Prince Siegfried in Paris Opera Ballet’s February production of Swan Lake.
But the ballet’s director, Aurélie Dupont, revoked the invitation 48 hours later after being notified of Polunin’s recent homophobic and sexist Instagram posts.
“Regarding the public statements made by Sergei Polunin, Aurélie Dupont, Director of Dance, made the decision not to invite the artist,” a Twitter statement published by the Paris Opera on Jan. 14 reads.
“These remarks don’t match her values and those of the institution,” the post continues.
The famous Ukrainian performer, Polunin, 29, trained at the Royal Ballet School in London from the age of 13. At the age of 19, he became the youngest principal dancer in history of the London-based Royal Ballet. Later he scandalized the public by getting tattooed, partying and allegedly taking drugs.
Polunin worked as a freelance principle at such companies as Sadler’s Wells in London, the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, and Teatro San Carlo in Napoli. He became internationally famous for performing an outstanding choreography in a video accompanied by the Hozier’s song “Take Me to Church,” which was published on YouTube in 2015. Directed by the U.S. photographer and filmmaker David LaChapelle, the video has racked up over 25 million views. In recent years, Polunin has been pursuing an acting career starring in such films as ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ and ‘Red Sparrow’.
The dancer continues occasionally performing in theaters. And he recently announced a dancing show tour around Russia in February.
The Ukrainian-born dancer Polunin has obtained Russian passport and later got Russian President Vladimir Putin’s portrait tattooed on his chest. The dancer showed off both of the changes on his Instagram photographs.
“Russia always represents good for me! I am happy to become Russian,” Polunin’s Instagram post with a photo of his Russian passport reads.
He also suggested that Putin should become the leader of the world.
“Thank you to Vladimir Putin for preventing the one world order from taking over the world,” his other post reads.
The posts about Putin and Russia sparked outrage in Ukraine, which has been involved in an almost five-year war with Russia. Since Russia invaded and occupied its territory, Crimea, in 2014 and unleashed a war in the country’s east, up to 10,500 Ukrainians have been killed, including almost 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers, while at least 94 citizens of Ukraine have been seized by Russia and detained as political prisoners.
