‘My parents were very supportive as well. I would call them and say, “It’s so hard, I don’t know if I can do it”, and they would say, “Come on, it’s a Russian story, it’s Pushkin, it’s in your blood, you can just be yourself.”‘
What was it like to perform such a ballet about the agony of unrequited love with your betrothed?
Vadim referenced a pivotal point in Act Two, when Tatiana nervously hands Onegin the heartfelt letter she once wrote and he coldly tears it up in front of her, crushing her hopes.
‘Every time I do this, I think, “How could I do that?” After doing that on stage, experiencing it in real life, it makes me like her even more. When we finish the ballet and go home, it’s a reminder that you should look after each other and not be horrible to each other.’
Fumi described feeling drained of all energy as she collapses at the end of the ballet.
‘I finish on centre stage, just crying so much, and when the curtain goes down, I feel everything inside me collapsing. I just feel like I have to lie down, I can’t stand anymore. Of course physically it’s very demanding but emotionally, it’s really exhausting. Then we hold each other’s hand and we bow but that moment is very – I felt like I’ve never felt before and it takes time to recover from that feeling. Usually after the show, I struggle to sleep, thinking about the performance.’
