These two news paper articles from St. Petersburg Russia, followed the unveiling of "Dancer" and "Galina Samsova" to the State Museum of Theatrical and Musical Arts.


"Dancer"

"Galina Samsova"


The St. Petersberg Press
June 12 - 18, 1994, NUMBER 62

Dancers, Covered in Bronze
by Kit Vladmirov

Who can make a sculpture of a ballet dancer better than a ballet dancer?

Maybe a ballet dancer who completed his dancing education in the London Royal School, of Ballet, danced professionally with famous ballet troupes and for the past 12 years has been captivated by sculpture and anatomy.

Morley Wiseman, a Canadian and former professionnal ballet dancer, presented last week his recently created bronze sculptures. "Dancer" is Mr. Wiseman's sculpture of himself, 1/3 of life size, executed in bronze in a limited edition of 12. By the same measures and in the same medium he made "Galina Samsova", the famous Russian ballerina and present director of the Scottish Ballet.

The two sculptures were presented to the State Museum of Theatrical and Musical Arts by the Balshine family, which is close to "Padam," Mr Wiseman's name in art circles. "I think the sculptures can grace any great world museum," said Irina Evstigneeva, the director of the Theatrical and Musical Arts Museum. "Padam and the Balshines have strong bloodlines with the Slavic peoples, as Padam's maternal ancestors are from Odessa, and Lorne Balshine's paternal ancestors are from the Ukraine."

The Museum has ordered more works from the Canadian artist. Sculptures of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, and Natalia Makarov are the next goals for Padam, who is familiar with all the Russian ballet stars and now wants to embody his warm memories of close friends in bronze sculptures.


Neva News
July 15 - 31, 1994, VOLUME 3, NUMBER 14

Padam, dancer & sculptor

Representatives of the Canadian art world do not visit St.Petersberg particularly frequently. Nor do such representatives often donate unique works of art to the city.

Thus, recent happenings at the St.Petersburg State Museum of Theatrical and Musical Arts can be considered something of a major event.

At a recent ceremony attended by Her Excellence Consul General of Canada Miss Lillian Thomsen, and many other guests, PADAM, as the artist is known, presented two bronze sculptures entitled "Dancer" and "Galina Samsova" to the museum.

It's no accident that the theme of dance is present in PADAM's art. For many years, the artist PADAM was well known to ballet lovers around the world as Morley Wiseman. A graduate of the Royal Ballet School in London, England. Mr. Wiseman danced professionally with the National Ballet of Canada, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the London Festival Ballet. As a result, his work reflects his experience as a dancer in combination with a unique understanding of human anatomy.

At present, the sculptor is working on statues of the grand masters of dance: Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Natalia Makarova, all of whom are from St. Petersburg.