To Dance by Valery Panov, Principal Dancer, Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet Company, Leningrad/St. Petersburg, Russia
By Sheila Orysiek
SAN DIEGO — When the Soviet Union finally approved Valery Panov’s application to emigrate to Israel, his wife, Galina, was hemorrhaging from a miscarriage. He lifted her into his arms and carried her through the airport and onto the plane. Carrying her was not unusual; he had done so many times across the stage of the legendary Mariinsky Theatre in Leningrad/St. Petersburg in the glow of floodlights and to the applause of thousands of people.
But the story began a few years earlier when the USSR instituted a policy of allowing Jews to immigrate to Israel. Panov had applied and was instantly dismissed from the Mariinsky Ballet Company where both he and Galina were principal dancers. Galina, who is not Jewish, was not dismissed but she joined her husband and resigned. Thus they were both deprived of any source of livelihood and for the next few years depended upon the generosity of brave friends. Though one of the finest dancers of his generation, Panov was little known in the West. Tapes of their dancing were smuggled out to garner support for their plight.
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From the Jewish library
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Soon after leaving the USSR, Valery and Galina Panov were invited to dance “Nutcracker,” with the San Diego Ballet. They represented a 400 year old dance heritage, and had graduated from the same school which produced world renowned dancers such as Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky as well as Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolph Nureyev. That fabled heritage was evident in every move they made.
Though not a member of San Diego Ballet, I was allowed the privilege of taking Company class every weekday morning and that was the first time I saw the Panovs from my place at the barre. He had grey hair but he was not old. His eyes flashed with intelligence; he was quick at assessing difficult situations and making decisions. She was a blond beauty; her delicacy hiding a tremendous strength. They were just beginning their new life in the West.
Panov’s autobiography To Dance, published in 1978, is still available and remains a riveting true story.
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Orysiek is a freelance writer who specializes in coverage of the arts and literature. She may be contacted via sheila.orysiek@sdjewishworld.com