Visa system forces Welsh-based Russian ballet company to axe 2009 programme

Published Tuesday 9 June 2009 at 13:00 by Lalayn Baluch

A Russian ballet company based in Wales has been forced to cancel its 2009 programme and is facing an uncertain future, after failing to obtain visas for its dancers under the controversial new points-based system.

The Ballet Russe has operated out of Swansea’s Grand Theatre for 11 years. While it employs UK dancers, most of the principal roles are taken by Bolshoi and Kirov-trained Russian performers.

However, despite spending thousands of pounds on legal assistance, Ballet Russe officials have been unable to secure the return of six of their principal dancers, who had returned home to visit their families.

As a result, the company’s shows have been cancelled since February, causing it to lose box office income and forcing it to lay off ten British dancers.

Chika Temma, a director of Ballet Russe, told The Stage that the visa negotiations had taken so long, the Russian principals had found other work.

She said: “The Home Office said there is no such thing as Russian classical ballet, so they couldn’t understand why we were looking for Russian-trained classical ballet dancers. I think they wanted us to employ British dancers.

“We perform ballets where the original choreography is a Russian production - such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppelia. They are quite different from the British style of choreography.”

Temma said that the company would perform at the Grand Theatre for two nights in November to try and raise some cash, using local dancers. However, she added that it would not be touring until the visa situation was resolved.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said the new process aimed to create a border system that was “the most secure in the world”.

He said: “Any organisation which used to bring entertainers into the UK under the old work permit system is welcome to apply to the UK Border Agency to become a sponsor - allowing them to employ foreign workers under the new points-based system. “If an organisation does not apply to become a sponsor, it will be unable to employ skilled migrant workers through the points-based system.”

Last week, a report on the new immigration process by anti-red tape campaigners the Manifesto Club revealed that more than 20 major arts events had been cancelled or badly affected by the new rules.

The report stated: “These new regulations will do little to stop terrorists - who are unlikely to go through official channels - but are instead hampering UK arts organisations that are already struggling in a recession.”

In May, Iranian film-maker Abbas Kiarostami pulled out of directing Cosi Fan Tutte for the English National Opera because of the UK’s “unduly time-consuming and hugely complicated” visa system. An ENO spokesperson had said that Kiarostami did not feel he was treated in a respectful way when applying for a UK visa.