Background Information
The Cold War
The Cold War was a time of high international tension involving opposing powers with their main differences being the belief in communism and the belief in democracy. The Cold War took place post-World War II in 1945 and ended in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union, one of the major powers involved. The other major power involved being the western democracies, such as the United States and United Kingdom |
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Introduction
Remaining one of the most notable occurrences of the Cold War, the defection of Soviet ballet dancers to the United States was the an act of pure opposition to the conditions and government which they were under, their actions resulting in public awareness and the reciprocation of many other public figures.
Beginning with the inability of self expression and artistic freedom, Soviet ballet dancers were under the control of Soviet authorities. At the time, ballet was used by the Soviet Union as propaganda intended to glorify themselves or as a symbol of their greatness. Therefore, choreographers were given strict rules on what kind of content could be produced. However, many choreographers were still opposed to this and were able to get their messages across in seemingly irrelevant pieces.
As a result, performers were put under total control by national authorities who commonly ordered performers to not leave the country for periods that could extend longer than a decade. By doing so, authorities hoped to silence performers they thought were spreading information that could be damaging to the image of the Soviet Union.
As a result, performers were put under total control by national authorities who commonly ordered performers to not leave the country for periods that could extend longer than a decade. By doing so, authorities hoped to silence performers they thought were spreading information that could be damaging to the image of the Soviet Union.
A Famous Case of Defection
One of the most famous cases of Defection involved the defection of a high profile soviet ballet dancer who was part of the Kirov Opera Ballet Company. The Kirov Opera Ballet Company was a widely praised organization that gained the Soviet Union cultural and artistic respect. Being part of this company, Rudolf Nureyev's decision to defect was not subtle and quickly drew the eyes of the world through the form of headlines. Nureyev's defection occurred as the organization made a tour stop in Paris. On June 16, 1961 before boarding a flight to the Soviet Union, Nureyev refused and created a dramatic scene by demanding the protection of airport security. The rest of the performers who belonged to the organization had no choice but to return to Russia without him. He later gained political asylum, or protection as a political refugee, and did not return to Russia for a long time.
In the Soviet Union, the west was viewed as an incomparable copy of their own culture, therefore, Nureyev's defection was universally recognized as an insult within the Soviet Union. The damage was clear, Soviet propaganda became ineffective and soon the truth about political and artistic freedom within the Soviet Union was revealed. |
(Above) Audience cheering after Russian ballet performance
(Above) Rudolf Nureyev, famous Soviet Ballet Dancer defector
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Modern Defection
Although the most notable cases of defection occurred during the Cold War, defection is still a very common occurrence in today's world. Facing similar situations to the Soviet ballet dancers are Cuban and Chinese ballet dancers who seek defection. Since countries such as Cuba and China are socialist countries, Soviet-like rule is present.Therefore artistic freedom is highly sought after. Inspired by Soviet ballet dancers who defected, Chinese and Cuban ballet dancers follow in their steps and hope to find higher salaries and more artistically diverse environments by defecting .
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(Above) Communist propaganda with origins in China and depictions of ballet.
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