Many professional ballet dancers have started to build up their presence on social media or are working as models in fashion or music videos regularly. Artists in both the visual and performing arts are now dependent on establishing themselves as a brand to be successful in the long term and to have the prospect of an international career. Ballet dancer Oleg Ivenko, known for his authentic portrayal of Rudolf Nureyev in the film “The White Crow”, goes one step further and expands his career as an actor.
KALTBLUT caught up with Oleg to chat about being back in the ballet studio, the similarities between the ballet world and the film industry, and his next steps on stage as well as on screen.
He had sort of an animalistic style to his dancing, there was cat-like plasticity to his movement. Nureyev was always hungry to learn something new, his ambition was one of a kind. He wanted to show his audience that he is a ballet superstar, and you could see this in his eyes. So that is what I wanted to embody in front of the camera.
KALTBLUT: You just recovered from an injury, and you are just back in the ballet studio. How is it going so far?
Oleg: It’s going great! I have the studio all to myself and do the ballet class on my own. I really enjoy having the studio all to myself, especially only with my music and my inspiration for that. So of course, it’s carried a little bit because I had a real bad injury. I couldn’t jump, I couldn’t turn, but now I feel much better, it’s still a little painful, but that’s quite normal.
KALTBLUT: All the best and good luck for the rest of your recovery!
In another interview, I guess it was still doing lockdown, you said you’re planning a one-man show. Are you allowed to talk about this?
Oleg: I can’t tell you too much about it because I would like to do the premiere in November. The show will be about the story of the young Billy Milligan. He had over 20 personalities inside his mind due to a personality disorder. The show will portray six of his personalities – just a human, a young boy, a teacher, or an animal… Due to his illness, he was not aware of it when he cruelly attacked his victims. He was the first to be acquitted due to his illness and transferred to a facility for mentally ill people. So there are many possibilities to bring acting and dancing together on stage.
KALTBLUT: So there’s a lot to come. But let’s get back to where your whole journey as an actor started: your impersonation of Rudolf Nureyev in the film “The White Crow”. How much work it was to become Nureyev? He was special, his dancing technique was outstanding, yet it’s not what modern ballet is like. How was that whole journey for you?
Oleg: We prepared everything step by step and started with the research one year before shooting the film. We studied documentary movies and looked at his dance style when he was young. He had sort of an animalistic style to his dancing, there was cat-like plasticity to his movement. Nureyev was always hungry to learn something new, his ambition was one of a kind. He wanted to show his audience that he is a ballet superstar, and you could see this in his eyes. So that is what I wanted to embody in front of the camera.
KALTBLUT: If you look at video footage of Nureyev one can tell what you mean – he has this “one in a million” aura and you brought that across in your acting and dancing in the film.
Tell me the difference between acting on stage and in front of the camera. In ballet, you must act a little bit over the top so that the audience in the last row can see what you’re expressing. In front of the camera, it’s quite different. How was it for you to adapt to this?
When you’re on camera, you have so many takes. You know you can do better, so you do it again. Then you repeat it so many times like maybe 35 times.
Oleg: When you’re a dancer, you know you have a performance and you have only one chance to be your best just at this moment. You need to show that spirit, the emotions on the stage, and your movement, need to be on point.
When you’re on camera, you have so many takes. You know you can do better, so you do it again. Then you repeat it so many times like maybe 35 times. You do the close-ups and background shots or something else – you just need to repeat again and again and again and again. Of course, this is very different from being on stage but it’s a big learning as well. I like it as much as I do like ballet. This opened up a new world to me, which I appreciate so much, and I really want to continue to work on both career paths.
KALTBLUT: So you and your colleagues did a great job and showed realistic insights into the ballet world. Not many dance films have that kind of quality. What kind of elements does a film about dancing need to portray the ballet world in a realistic way in your opinion?
Oleg: To show the true feeling of ballet it’s quite impossible, I think. Because of this variety of emotions, every time your body is different, all the time, you need to keep your shape. From the perspective of a film director, I can imagine that it is incredibly hard to get to the point where you open the character of a ballet character or of the ballet world as a whole. It’s quite challenging to show an interesting film about ballet. But I think that Ralph (Fiennes) did a wonderful job with “The White Crow”. He’s an amazing director and he kind of became my movie father, I’m really thankful and happy about that.
KALTBLUT: Would you say that ballet could learn something from the film industry? And can the film industry learn something from ballet?
Oleg: Patience, I think. In both ways. When you have a stage rehearsal, especially with a new ballet that you’re working on, you must repeat all the steps so often, even if your body is tired, that’s part of the job. Shooting a film requires that kind of relentlessness as well. Again you need to be patient to do a good job. You must be patient with the crew, with your acting partner, and of course with yourself. Yeah, you need to have this kind of endless patience to be fresh for every new shot you take.
KALTBLUT: Can you imagine playing roles in a film that doesn’t take place in the ballet world? Are there any genres that you would prefer?
Oleg: In the future, I would like to play a warrior or a doctor, maybe the good guy like a superhero, or even the bad guy. I don’t want to settle in with a typical character to play over and over again. I don’t want a routine in who or what I will play because there are so many characters to explore. Of course, I want to develop my style of acting. The most important is to me is that it doesn’t get boring.
KALTBLUT: Your audience and your fans can look forward to a bright future with many roles on stage and on screen hopefully. Are there any further projects that you didn’t mention so far?
Oleg: I have played different roles in Joika a film that is inspired by the true story of American prima ballerina Joy Womack, played by Never Rarely Sometimes Always actress Talia Ryder, whom I joined on screen. The film is currently in post-production.
And I’ll be on stage with ‘Nureyev Legend and Legacy’, an evening of ballet celebrating the legacy of the legendary Rudolph Nureyev. The program has been curated by former Royal Ballet Principal Nehemiah Kish and I will dance the Pas de Deux from Gayane, together with Maia Mahkateli.
Oleg will be on stage with ‘Nureyev Legend and Legacy’ on 12 September at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End London.
For tickets and further information visit this website.
Follow @oleg.ivenko on Instagram to keep up with everyday life as a ballet dancer and actor.
Photo courtesy of Oleg Ivenko.
