Sergei Polunin

Sergei Polunin was born on November 20, 1989, in Kherson, Ukrainian SSR. He began his training in gymnastics from the age of four to eight, then transitioned to ballet, attending the Kyiv State Choreographic College for four years. His mother, Galina, moved with him to Kyiv, while his father, Vladimir Polunin, worked in Portugal to support the family. At the age of 13 in 2003, Polunin joined the British Royal Ballet School, sponsored by the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation. He quickly distinguished himself, earning awards such as the Prix de Lausanne and Youth America Grand Prix in 2006, and was named Young British Dancer of the Year in 2007.

Polunin became a first soloist at the Royal Ballet in 2009. In June 2010, at 20 years old, he achieved the distinction of becoming the Royal Ballet’s youngest male principal dancer. He gained international recognition for his performances, including his role as the Knave in ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ in 2011. However, after two successful years, Polunin resigned from the Royal Ballet in January 2012, citing unhappiness and a feeling that “the artist in me was dying.” He then pursued a freelance career, becoming a principal dancer with the Stanislavsky Music Theatre and Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Russia in 2012.

His international profile further expanded in 2015 with his collaboration with photographer David LaChapelle and the viral music video for Hozier’s “Take Me to Church.” This was followed by a documentary film, ‘Dancer,’ in 2016, which chronicled his life and career. In 2017, he established Project Polunin, aiming to create new dance and ballet works. He also ventured into acting, appearing in films such as ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (2017), ‘Red Sparrow’ (2018), and ‘The White Crow’ (2018). In 2018, Project Polunin was reincorporated as Polunin Ink, which introduced new productions like “Rasputin” and “Little Red and the Wolf.”