DANCE AWAY YOUR PROTEST
Innovation and art can be successfully, and in this case beautifully applied in the field of democratic participation. Ballerina Ilmira Bagautdinova from the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia applied her professional and artistic skills to raise awareness and draw public attention towards the environmental causes. She performed a ballet dance from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake on the frozen water in Batareinaya Bay which is a part of the Gulf of Finland. Local authorities are planning to construct a port that could cause a devastating impact on natural habitat.
It remains to be seen whether Ilmira’s performance will make a decisive impact on the project’s decision-makers. Hopefully, the construction will be stopped and if not, she already has the attention of the entire world because her video was published by many major news stations around the world. In addition, a gentle ballerina just showcased how to put up a strong fight and resist the authorities so she can proudly serve as a role model to every citizen, activist, and good politician. Even the polar winter could not stop her.
