June 3, 2010 THE STAGE 29 Raising the barre showpeople

Barely out of his teens, Russian ballet dancer Vadim Muntagirov takes time out of rehearsals for ’s to talk to Cheryl Angear about his fifth principal role after just one year with the company

atching Vadim I didn’t do anything in school, Muntagirov, 20, just class and solos,” he says. rehearsing the Of his preparation for W principal role in Albrecht, he adds: “At school English National Ballet’s you just do variations, but in enormous production of Swan performance you’re lifting girls Lake in the round, I’m struck not and then you have to do a solo, only by how high his jumps really so it’s a different feeling.” are but that despite his technical And afterwards? “When I that for a moment. But I’ve facility, he is humble and focused danced at Albrecht for the first Paul Roberts loved Sinatra all my life. I in the studio. time I couldn’t believe that I had grew up hearing Bobby There’s nothing brash or over- made it, because it was so hard. From the Stranglers to Darin, Sarah Vaughn, Ella confident about him and yet he I remember it was really good Sinatra is quite a leap, Fitzgerald, so I’ve always will open the run of shows next because every time I learn but it’s one Paul Roberts leaned towards it. In fact, I has taken in his stride. month as ENB celebrate its something new and I’m having used to sing those songs Having replaced Hugh during the sound-check in 60th anniversary year. so much fun because that is Cornwell as the Stran- my previous incarnation He has only been with the really interesting. ” glers’ vocalist in 1990, with the Stranglers. company for a year, joining, He danced with Daria Paul spent 16 years unusually, as a first artist – he Klimentova, a huge honour, but fronting the band before Are you a trained singer? shares with Carlos Acosta the he felt “a lot of pressure as well”. going solo. He’s currently I’ve never been trained. feat of leap-frogging the typical “Daria is a senior principal playing Ol’ Blue Eyes Funnily enough, I had eight years in the corps de ballet. dancer, so I had to be good. I just in the touring revue some trouble with my voice When I meet him afterwards, felt that I was going to be so bad. Strictly Swing a couple of years ago and I he says: “I was really excited, She’s really nice. I really enjoy ended up at an osteopath I’ve done Les Sylphides, , having so much fun with her. What can you tell us about having my top rib cracked the show? Nutcracker, Cinderella and now To start with he took English “I’m nervous before a per- back into place. It was It’s basically three guys in like Carry On Doctor. He Swan Lake – five principal roles lessons on top of his training, formance, about my solo, adagio, a bar – Bing Crosby, Nat grabbed my head, twisted but because of his heavy schedule in my first year.” Even he sounds and partnering, but when Daria King Cole and Frank it... I heard the sound of a incredulous. he says he now learns “more is on stage she gives me support Sinatra – a highly unusual fake dinosaur bone being Muntagirov takes nothing from my friends who I share a and I’m in a real story and forget trio. The songs are loosely broken in a large room... for granted and he is softly- flat with”. about everything else”. tied to the idea that Nat and that was it – I was spoken and kind, thoughtfully At RBS, the emphasis on the Being part of ENB, which is a King Cole is always falling cured. I’ve always been a considering his responses as mental challenges of the English friendly and open company, has in love and then you’ve got very physical guy. I used to I delve into his very tough technique was new to him. helped Muntagirov ease into the old cynic Frank Sinatra jump about on stage and I Russian training and how that He describes it as “really fast British life: “This is my first and the even older cynic had so much energy, I was contrasts with the English style exercise. It’s really hard for the company. I’m really happy here. Bing Crosby sharing their always helping people lift views. As an added twist, he is dancing now. brain as well. It’s taken me two I heard people saying all the time and shift things. So I guess there’s an all-female band, I must have done some- Even though he always worked years to feel comfortable remem- that it’s hard being new and the Jazz Belles, who sit thing to my neck while I bering the exercises, but there 200%, he says: “I found it really especially having principal roles, there looking pretty and was moving stuff around. hard, especially the first four are fewer jumps here. They so it’s a bit of pressure from play some instrumental years, because we had really concentrate more on the barre others but here everybody was numbers. You’ve done panto, played strong teachers, they were and centre.” really friendly, really nice.” Pop Larkin in a musical really scary.” His Russian training was Muntagirov praises the great It must be a totally differ- adaptation of The Darling He continues quietly: “They essentially slow with many repe- teachers at ENB, mentioning ent style of singing to the Buds of May and toured a would scream at us because we titions and later characterised Maina Gielgud (who is coaching Stranglers? stage tribute to David were small. They were always by very high jumps. Muntagirov him in Swan Lake), of whom he Absolutely. Delivery is the Bowie. What does the yelling. It’s normal in Russia, feels now that he has the best says: “Every time she explains it main difference. Rock‘n’roll future hold? they are always hitting you.” of both worlds. perfectly.” is generally delivered quite I’d love to play a serious role. People have enjoyed For the first two years “Yes, it is hard but I’m glad Though he is barely out of his straight. It’s more about the sound of the voice than my comic acting and I Muntagirov found himself doing that I went to the RBS because teenage years, with five principal the phrasing. Swing and really love facing an audi- now I have two different tech- double class because the teachers roles under his belt already, I jazz-swing depends on ence with a script. When I would ask him to demonstrate an niques, I can do both. It’s good wonder what advice Muntagirov phrasing to deliver the was fronting bands, I would exercise to the class and then do to have slow technique like the would give to students. His song right. If you make try to think of something it with them. Russians – slow but with very answer reveals much of himself. swing square, it’s no longer different to say every night Winning a medal at the Prix high jumps and then a really fast, “I think it’s good to feel you’re swing. Rock‘n’roll isn’t and there comes a time de Lausanne, Muntagirov chose clean, small technique like here.” not good, to be a bit humble. necessarily square, but it’s when a) you get fed up with to train at Very early on in his graduation Every time I dance, I watch much tighter. You stick to it and b) it’s a big responsi- School in 2006 (his other options year at the RBS, , my videos and I’m never happy the beat, whereas with bility. But when someone were the Vaganova Academy and artistic director of ENB, offered with myself. swing, you lean away from else has given you the words, you can relax and Stuttgart School). He talked to him not only a contract as first “It makes you work harder. the beat, play with time and sing more vibrato. In concentrate on using all his friend Sergei Polunin (also a artist but a principal role by Never give up, never take it easy, the last few years a lot of your other skills to deliver Christmas. Once in the company, Prix winner that year) who was always work hard because it will people have said there’s a a performance. already at the RBS, and was the focus shifted towards the help later, if you work now when Bobby Darin or Frank Douglas McPherson encouraged with Polunin’s talk stage – another challenge. you’re young.” Sinatra sound about my Strictly Swing is touring of good training and some fun. “Performance was new for me. It’s worked for him. voice. I’d never thought to Sunday, June 20