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David AvdyshChoreographer
Country:
 Ukraine |
Content:
Biography of David Avdysh
David Avdysh, a ballet master, is widely known within the music industry but remains relatively unknown to the general public. Avdysh has choreographed programs for many stars of the Russian show business. However, he does not like to dwell on his work with celebrities, and for good reason. After touring with Masha Rasputina, David narrowly escaped imprisonment. Furthermore, Philipp Kirkorov poached dancers from his ballet, and his relationship with Alla Borisovna did not work out.
How did a classical ballet master end up in the entertainment industry?
"In 1986, Eifman and I were invited to Moscow to participate in a festive concert commemorating the Congress of the Komsomol Central Committee. Boris didn't want to go, so we made a deal. I create ballet numbers myself, but there are two names on the posters. After that, I was offered to choreograph the rock opera 'Giordano Bruno.' The leading roles were played by Leonid Leontiev and Maya Dolina, and I collaborated with both performers for some time after the premiere."
Was it difficult to teach vocalists like Leontiev and Dolina the art of movement?
"Leontiev is a professional who always strives to make the show genuine. He never refuses to try a certain movement, even knowing that it will be quite challenging. Moreover, Valera is a hardworking person, and he has excellent natural plasticity. In the late 90s, I created a program called 'Beauty and Casanova' with him. Later, our paths diverged, but my dancers continued to perform in his programs for a long time."
"As for Dolina, it was initially very difficult. She asked me to include as few dance numbers as possible. At that time, she could not even perform the simplest support movements. Moreover, she sincerely believed that she didn't need to dance because the main thing for a singer is vocals. But today, Larisa has transformed; she dances beautifully. I enjoy watching her work with the ballet."
Who did you work with the longest among the stars of the Russian show business?
"I worked with Philipp Kirkorov for three years. During our collaboration, we created several successful programs. However, we eventually had a falling out. He was 40 minutes late for a rehearsal, and I sent him a strongly-worded letter. I left him with my ballet, as he had concerts planned in Moscow. Later, I found out that he had made a deal with my dancers and simply replaced me without informing me. As a result, Kirkorov got the ready-made show 'I Am Not Raphael' and my ballet troupe. By the way, Kirkorov still owes me money for this work. A similar situation occurred with the copyright royalties for the show. He traveled with it for three years, but I only received payment once — in St. Petersburg. In all other cities and abroad, I didn't receive a single penny. My name wasn't even mentioned on the posters."
It is said that Pugacheva played a part in your conflict with Kirkorov?
"I didn't get along with Alla Borisovna from the beginning. I remember when she first appeared at Kirkorov's rehearsal, everything went wrong: the microphone, the recording, and so on. I made the mistake of loudly mentioning it in her presence. There was another incident. At that time, Pugacheva was closely following her husband's work, and Kirkorov listened to her advice. One of the dance numbers that I created for him didn't appeal to her, so she invited someone else to choreograph it. It all happened behind my back, and when I found out, a scandal broke out. So, I think Pugacheva played a part in it."
Was it more challenging to work with Kirkorov?
"Oh, no! Working with Masha Rasputina was the most difficult. She would usually be two and a half hours late to rehearsal. I would tell her, 'Masha, this is for you, not for me,' and she would reply, 'Do you have nothing to rehearse without me?' I had the patience to tolerate it for a year and a half, and then we parted ways."
"They say you spent a day in a pretrial detention center because of Rasputina?!"
"Rasputina had nothing to do with it. We were on tour in Volgograd, and she didn't pay us for the concerts. Then, her former manager, Victor Yudin, lured the concert organizer to Moscow and locked him in a garage. He said, 'You won't leave until you pay.' Of course, we didn't know about it. After a rehearsal, we went to Yudin's garage, and there was the riot police. They pulled us out of the car and started beating us with batons. We shouted, 'We are ballet artists, what are you doing?!' And they replied, 'We know what kind of artists you are.' It turned out that the captive managed to write a note asking for help and threw it into the crack. Someone found the note and called the riot police. They kept us in custody for a day."
"And how did it end?"
"We managed to prove with great difficulty that we had nothing to do with extortion. By the way, they released the 'victim' with us, and he never paid anyone. However, Yudin almost ended up in prison. It took a lot of effort to settle the matter."
"I suppose after this incident, you decided not to get involved in show business anymore!"
"Not exactly. It just became uninteresting at some point. I repeatedly suggested to Kirkorov to do something new, but he was always surprised and asked, 'Why change something if it's not that bad?!' In addition, our stars don't want to invest money in shows. Kirkorov allocated only $80 for costumes in three years, and the rest didn't contribute a penny. I don't see the point in working under such conditions."
P.S. David Avdysh was born in 1952 in Zhytomyr. He graduated from the Kiev Choreographic School and the Leningrad Conservatory. He then worked at the Omsk Musical Theater. In the late 80s, he choreographed several ice and variety shows in America and Canada. He has worked with Arthur Dmitriev, Natalia Mishkutenok, Oksana Kazakova, and Evgeni Plushenko. He is the author of the famous ballet "Master and Margarita".
