The names of the exiles are not comparable in importance. The reasons for dismissal are the same. Previously, they removed potential rivals or made an aesthetic revolution. Decisions were made at the level of the prime minister (as was the case with Yuri Grigorovich), in extreme cases - the minister of culture (this is how they got rid of Vladimir Vasiliev) and were sometimes implemented with shocking speed. In each case, if desired, one could see both unfair persecution and the inexorable pace of progress. And only the incident with Anastasia Volochkova is in no way connected with either the internal theater or cultural policy. Its essence is extremely simple: the ballerina was a burden for the theater, the director tried to get rid of her. But the usual production conflict between the employee and the employer suddenly swelled almost to universal proportions.
It is possible to explain this phenomenon. Since Soviet times, the world has seen ballet dancers as silent dissidents, voting with their feet against the totalitarian regime. However, the times of Nureyev's jumps over the fences of the Paris airport or the Baryshnikov cross over the night North American street have sunk into oblivion along with the Iron Curtain. Everyone who could and wanted to went abroad (like Vladimir Malakhov) or peacefully alternate performances in Russia with performances in the West (like Nina Ananiashvili or Diana Vishneva).
For foreigners, the case of Anastasia Volochkova turned out to be a tasty morsel - finally, a "victim of arbitrariness" was revealed. For Russian tabloids - too, but for a different reason. In the history of our ballet, Anastasia Volochkova is the first and only prima who has become a pop star. Ballet Baskov, ballet Kournikova, ballet Yudashkin. By the time of her conflict with the Bolshoi, the Volochkova brand was so promoted that for wide audience personified the very concept of "ballet". The Russian media became hostages to the image they created themselves: henceforth they were doomed to track every step of the ballet diva.
And now the most influential world newspapers place Volochkova's portrait on the front pages, in all seriousness count her kilograms of weight and centimeters of height, publish expert reviews and size tables of famous ballerinas. At the same time, not a single publication mentions the stage merits of the ballerina. Because they don't exist.
Ballerina in pop style
Official biography Anastasia Volochkova emphasizes her determination: little Nastya was not taken to the Vaganov school, but she acted again and again until she achieved her goal. It’s clear why they didn’t take it: the ballerina Volochkova has a bad lift, no jump, poor rotation, an artificially worked out step (which is why her lines are always skewed in large adagio poses) and a regrettable lack of acting talent. Nevertheless, the persistent Nastya entered the Mariinsky Theater, where over the course of four seasons she managed to change half a dozen eminent teachers and dance 14 leading roles - and this despite the desperate competition of young stars supported by the theater, the public and the press.
It is clear that with such ambition, the ballerina has the right place not in the cultural, but in the official capital of Russia. And the offer was not long in coming. In 1998, Volochkova was invited to the Bolshoi by the then artistic director of the theater, Vladimir Vasilyev - all high-status Muscovites refused to dance his wild " Swan Lake", and the wounded choreographer found acceptance at the Mariinsky Theatre. Petersburg breathed a sigh of relief, Moscow tensed up: the new ballerina in the first year greatly pressed the careless Muscovites in the repertoire. By the end of the season, the quiet Ekaterina Maksimova, known for her aversion to squabbles and intrigues, refused to work with her However, this did not bother the ballerina: her eyes had already turned to Europe.
After the English tour of the Bolshoi Theater, Volochkova received an engagement in London, and the Moscow Theater, with undisguised relief, signed a one-year contract with her for two minor ballets. For a whole season, the British press discussed not Mrs. Volochkova's debut as the fairy Carabosse, but her tender friendship with some influential ballet lover.
Realizing that the European career did not work out, the ballerina was imbued with patriotism and returned to her homeland. AT big theater she flew back on the wings of "Swan" - the Soviet classic Yuri Grigorovich, who resumed his old ballet, set the condition that in the first cast leading role danced by Anastasia Volochkova. His sudden infatuation with a ballerina gave rise to many of the most incredible rumors - after all, Odette-Odile still worked at the Bolshoi, who calmly danced this performance back in Grigorovich’s times. Be that as it may, after the debut in March 2000, Volochkova signed a full-fledged contract - the next ballet artistic director Boris Akimov turned out to be a malleable person.
True, the ballerina Volochkova was not really needed by the theater even then. At least none of the invited choreographers (neither the French Roland Petit, nor the Russian Alexei Ratmansky, nor the Englishman Alexander Grant) became interested in the prima and did not take it in their works. Even though Yury Grigorovich, who was favorable to her, gave Volochkova the Benois de la danse prize he invented for "Swan" (the audience booed the award), he didn't let it get close to the renewed "Legend of Love", and left it in Raymond in the second composition. In addition, it turned out that for Anastasia Volochkova, a tall ballerina (officially - 168 cm, and with pointe shoes, everything is 180), there are no partners in the Bolshoi Theater: Moscow men, taking care of their health, refused to carry her in their arms. Especially for the ballerina, the theater signed a contract with a powerful and unpretentious soloist Mariinsky Theater Evgeny Ivanchenko, and in case of emergency he wrote out a partner from abroad (as, for example, the Dane Kenneth Greve).
However, the active ballerina still had her three ballets a month, and free time used it extensively. It was during this period that the ballet pop star became the leader of our mass culture - she participated in all kinds of presentations (even danced at some), constantly appeared on television and in glossy magazines, served as an advertising face for several companies. The image of the femme fatale and the extraordinary promotion of the diva eclipsed the brand of the Bolshoi itself - which was worth at least the banners over the Nevsky during the St. Petersburg tour of the theater, on which, after the gigantic "Anastasia Volochkova", there was a petite "in the ballets of the Bolshoi Theater." But Big endured everything.
Fighter with officials
It is difficult to say why the theater dared to turn the tide at the end of last season. It is unlikely that only because a new, really stellar prima appeared in the Bolshoi - Svetlana Zakharova. But at the end of June, Volochkova was offered a contract for four months instead of the usual annual one. Official version was as follows: Evgeny Ivanchenko, the only partner of the ballerina, having received some kind of injury, quit of his own free will, so the theater cannot guarantee employment to the ballerina. In addition, since January 2004, the troupe will be headed by new artistic director Alexey Ratmansky. He will decide whether to renew the contract or not. Experienced Anastasia Volochkova immediately realized the catch and did not sign the paper.
The trick was not to take the ballerina to Paris on the January tour, which was terribly important for the prestige of the Bolshoi. The theater dreamed of quietly putting the brakes on the situation, shifting the decision to dismiss her to Ratmansky. Carelessly believing that Volochkova would sign the contract anyway, the ballet directors put her name on the September poster. It all started in September.
At the opening of the season, the first ballet was "Swan", of course, with Anastasia Volochkova. Siegfried was supposed to be the retired Yevgeny Ivanchenko (literally a week before the opening of the season, Volochkova danced the "left" "Giselle" with him in Greece). But on the eve of the performance, the partner did not appear. And Volochkova was replaced by another ballerina.
Further, the plot developed according to all the laws of a PR campaign. Volochkova appealed to the public on the radio, accusing the theater of hiding her Ivanchenko and poisoning her herself. She rejected the pathetic attempts of the ballet leaders to reconcile, once again refusing to sign the contract and putting forward her own conditions. Supported by the party United Russia"convened a press conference, indirectly accusing the leadership of the Bolshoi of disloyalty to the president (the press conference was called "At the time of the administrative reform in Russia, the administration of the Bolshoi Theater publicly demonstrates bureaucratic revelry"). Participated in the TV show "To the Barrier", in which she put the executive director on the shoulder blades Fund of the Bolshoi Theater Alexander Gafin.
The big one fought back rather awkwardly, claiming that the ballerina weighed a lot and had lost her shape. On September 16, just before the ballerina's scheduled performance at Raymond, the theater decided to be consistent and fired her. The Minister of Labor Alexander Pochinok immediately stood up for the ballerina - he explained in a television interview that this was illegal. The theatre, pretending to take the minister's speech as a recommendation and not an order, upheld its decision. The ballerina sued, demanding reinstatement in the troupe. Representatives of the theater did not appear at the first two meetings. The process is still underway, but its outcome can be predicted.
Non-contract soloist
It seems that the Bolshoi Theater will lose the court. It looks like he understands it himself. In any case, the general director of the Bolshoi, Anatoly Iksanov, does not tire of complaining that the new laws that allow transferring people to contracts creative professions, will not enter into force in any way, because the list of professions that should be considered creative has not been approved. And according to the old legislation, the theater really had no right to dismiss Volochkova. The administration did not terminate the working relationship with the ballerina immediately after the expiration of her fixed-term contract (namely, on June 30) and thereby actually transferred her to an open-ended contract. That is, to a permanent staff, where a ballerina can work quietly until her creative retirement (unless, of course, she is convicted of violations of labor discipline) on a salary of about $100.
Iksanov does not hide the fact that there have already been precedents for the return of artists unnecessary to the theater: several dismissed opera soloists were restored to their former place of service with the help of the court. But the outcome of the process is of little concern to the Bolshoi. He achieved his goals: a simple non-contractual soloist cannot present any conditions and claims to the theater. The theater has every right not to guarantee her employment in the repertoire, not to take her on tour, not to look for partners - that is, not to do everything that Volochkova insisted on.
A sane person might ask why poor girl to work in a theater that humiliates and insults her so much, if she can calmly give solo performances in the Kremlin? And where is her human pride? However, Volochkova's persistent desire to gain a foothold in the troupe is completely understandable. The status of a Bolshoi ballerina is much more respectable than the uncertain position of a pop diva who arranges her own gala concerts. She has little chance of taking a similar position in another prestigious theater: the Mariinsky Theater is clearly not eager to get her back. Volochkova's abroad will not help either: the ballerina's international reputation does not allow her to count on Covent Garden, or at least Berlin and San Francisco. Even in Kyiv, it was recently accepted without any enthusiasm. Unlike other Russian actresses who are willingly invited by Western theaters, Anastasia Volochkova can appear to the world only in the performances of the Bolshoi - hence her insistent demands for participation in theater tours.
It is clear that a simple restoration in the theater will not suit the ballerina. Certainly other processes will follow: Volochkova has already hinted at the possibility of filing a lawsuit personally against Iksanov - "for insulting honor and dignity." And it is difficult to predict the outcome - ballet minds are still haunted by an episode from a hundred years ago, when the ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya managed to fire the director of the Imperial Theaters, Prince Volkonsky. And not fighting for a place in the sun, but out of a simple ladies' whim. However, it was still Kshesinskaya.
TATYANA KUZNETSOVA
Serenade and Apollo saw for the first time.
I didn’t know anything about Apollo in advance, so I kept waiting for Shevyakova (as it was written in the program), I didn’t wait)))). Then on the page in MT they wrote that the scenery had already sailed to London, and therefore they showed it in a truncated version.
There were 3 debutants out of 4.
I treat Shklyarov with respect, but without much love, therefore, apparently, the image of a very romantic Apollo is not close to me, but with Vladimir everything is usually romantic and poetic.
The young ladies were different in size, but they always lined up harmoniously, in height. I liked Sodoleva least of all, she had an unkind and tense face, and she seemed much older than Shapran and Shakirova, who looked very fresh and young. The desire to go to Sodoleva again did not appear in me.
Shakirova is the smallest and densest of them, but very frisky and playful, she did not concede to girls who have been dancing for more than a year in dance. If she gets into MT, there will be roles for her in which she will be good. She danced with joy and passion.
In my opinion, the duet between Shapran and Shklyarov turned out, she has a good smile and she danced quite relaxedly. I'll be interested in seeing more of her.
Separate elements of Balanchine's choreography fascinated.
Since everything was truncated, you will have to go again on occasion.
Shapran did not bring a bouquet, but Shklyarov's reaction was lightning-fast and not deliberate, very natural and friendly. It made the finale better. The whole four received bravos, bows, most of all in my opinion Shapran.
Balanchine, Serenade
Victoria Brileva Nadezhda Gonchar Oksana Skorik Andrey Ermakov Xander Parish
Such a Balanchine, Balanchine, everything flowed, shimmered without beginning or end, everyone was equally either good or faceless.
At one point, when Ermakov left, I suddenly thought that this thing was no less erotic than, for example, Scheherazade, only not everything is so obvious here, an orgy in thoughts and feelings. Then everything went quiet again.
Everything was more interesting to watch Skorik and Ermakov. They clapped and shouted bravo without fanaticism and all the soloists were bouffanted. Most flowers were brought by Skorik.
Balanchine Symphony in C major.
If you have a troupe with opportunities and you love the audience and want to bring him joy, then you should show the Symphony in C from Balanchine.
I see it for the 3rd time, every time I leave happy.
The corps de ballet dances, the second soloists dance, the main couples dance and even the adagio in major.
I. Allegro vivo
Alina Somova and Alexander Sergeev
II. Adagio
Ulyana Lopatkina and Evgeny Ivanchenko
III. Allegro vivace
Nadezhda Batoeva and Kimin Kim
IV. Allegro vivace
Anastasia Nikitina and David Zaleev
Everyone lined up for me as expected, the best of all is Lopatkin, because looking at her it seems that dancing is so natural. General words about magic are probably better not to speak.
Somova - queen
Batoeva and Kim danced their next duet very well, they are very used to each other.
Nikitina and Zaleev, budding, green youth, looked very good at the level of the elders, though in the final spins of the soloists Anastasia did not always keep up with the other three, but she tried.
Sergeev, of course, is better than Ivanchenko on his own, but Ivanchenko, such a partner, always on the spot, always accurate, showed us Lopatkin in all its glory, for which special thanks to him.
Everyone danced brightly with pleasure. Here everyone shouted bravo and clapped, the curtain was understood several times.
For me, this is most likely the end of the ballet season, I think that I completed it enchantingly.
The St. Petersburg Classical Ballet of Andrey Batalov is pleased to present its work to the audience in Russia, as well as far beyond its borders. The founder of the company is Andrey Batalov.
The repertoire of the enterprise consists of masterpieces of the ballet classics Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Chopiniana, as well as the choreography of contemporaries - Alexei Miroshnichenko, Emil Fasca and others. Among the invited soloists are Petersburg ballet stars: Oksana Bondareva, Evgeny Ivanchenko, Leonid Sarafanov.
The St. Petersburg Classical Ballet of Andrei Batalov will be glad to see you at its performances in Russia and abroad.
About the founder of the company
Andrey Batalov
A graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Russian Ballet (1992), A. Batalov belongs to a rare breed of virtuoso dancers. In terms of skill, he can be put on a par with the legendary virtuosos of the past and present from Vestris and Nijinsky to Baryshnikov and Julio Bocca. Outstanding technical abilities of the dancer were noted a unique collection awards of international competitions, which no one else in the world has. He is a "golden" laureate of the International Ballet Competitions in Nagoya (Japan, 1996), Paris (1996). Awarded the second prize at the Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest (1996), the first prize and the Mikhail Baryshnikov Prize open competition ballet dancers of Russia "Arabesque-96" in Perm (1996). At the International Ballet Competition in Moscow, Batalov won the Grand Prix (1997).
In the Mikhailovsky (1992-1994) and Mariinsky (since 1994) theaters, Batalov danced the leading roles in the ballets Halt of the Cavalry, La Sylphide, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, Manon, Scheherazade ”, “Romeo and Juliet”, etc. In the Royal Danish Ballet (2000-2002), his repertoire included the crown parts of the classical repertoire - Prince Siegfried (“Swan Lake”), Count Albert (“Giselle”) and ballets by modern choreographers Peter Martins and Kevin O'Dale.
Batalov danced with the best ballerinas of the Mariinsky Theater - Altynai Asylmuratova, Diana Vishneva, Uliana Lopatkina, Elvira Tarasova, with the legend of the 1960-1970s Nadezhda Pavlova (Bolshoi Theater of the USSR).
As art director of the enterprise, Andrei Batalov intends to follow the great traditions of Russian ballet, bequeathed to the 21st century by the great masters of the past - Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Alexander Gorsky, Mikhail Fokin and others.
Biographies of guest soloists
Leonid Sarafanov
Born in Kyiv. In 2000 he graduated from the Kiev State choreographic school, since the same year, ballet soloist National Opera Ukraine. On the stage of this theater he performed roles in the ballets La Sylphide (James), Giselle (Albert), Grand pas from the ballet Paquita, The Sleeping Beauty (Desire, Blue Bird), Swan Lake (Siegfried), The Nutcracker (Prince), Don Quixote (Basil), Petrushka (Petrushka), Carmen Suite (Escamillo).
Since 2002 - in the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.
Since January 2011 - in the troupe of the Mikhailovsky Theater.
Oksana Bondareva
Born in 1987 in Dnepropetrovsk. In 2002 she graduated ballet school at Dnepropetrovsk academic theater. In the same year she was accepted into the troupe. In 2005 she graduated from the Theater and Art College with a degree in Choreography. In 2005-2009 she was a soloist of the Russian National Ballet S.N. Radchenko (Moscow). In 2008-2009 she trained at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography.
In 2009 she was accepted into the troupe of the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Evgeny Ivanchenko
Honored Artist of Russia (2010)
Born in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan).
Graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet. AND I. Vaganova (class of Valentin Onoshko).
Since 1992 in the troupe of the Mariinsky Theatre.
Mikhail Martynyuk
Honored Artist of Russia (2010)
Graduated Perm State Choreographic school in the class of V.Ya. Alikina. In the troupe of the "Kremlin Ballet" since 2003. His repertoire includes: Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Jester (Swan Lake), Tom Sawyer (Tom Sawyer), Napoleon (Napoleon Bonaparte), Basil (Don Quixote), Drosselmeyer, Prince -The Nutcracker ("The Nutcracker"), Soloist /Pas de deux/ ("Giselle"), Acteon ("Esmeralda"), Soloist /Pas de sklyav/ ("The Corsair"), Hanuman ("Katya and the Prince of Siam"), Lel ( "Snow Maiden"), Blue Bird ("Sleeping Beauty"), Aladdin ("A Thousand and One Nights"), Albert ("Giselle") and others. In 2008, Mikhail Martynyuk performed the part of the barber of Figaro in the ballet of the same name to music by G. Rossini and V.A. Mozart, staged by A. Petrov, taking into account the data and plastic talent of this soloist. The artist was awarded for best performance contemporary choreography at the Arabesque Open Russian Ballet Competition (2002) and the Triumph Youth Prize (2005). Martynyuk laureate All-Russian competition ballet dancers in Krasnodar (2004), diploma winner of the Russian Open Competition of Ballet Dancers "Arabesque" (2006), winner of the first prize and gold medal at the I International Ballet Competition in Astana (Kazakhstan).
Alexandra Timofeeva
Honored Artist of Russia (2010)
Was invited to Kremlin ballet» in 2000 at the end of the Moscow state academy choreography (class of M.V. Mikhailova). She made her solo debut in the ballets Swan Lake (The Bride), Tom Sawyer (Dragonfly), Ivan the Terrible (The Face of Victory) and others. Then she performed with great success in the ballet The Nutcracker (choreography by A. Petrov), creating a gentle and touching image of Marie. Today Alexandra Timofeeva's repertoire includes the title and solo parts of the theatre's repertoire: Odette-Odile, Soloist /Pas de trois/ ("Swan Lake"), Aurora, Princess Florine ("Sleeping Beauty"), Cinderella ("Cinderella"), Juliet (" Romeo and Juliet"), Firebird, Maiden Beauty ("Firebird"), Diana ("Esmeralda"), Fanchetta ("Figaro"), Medora ("Corsair"), Esmeralda ("Esmeralda"), Kupava ( "The Snow Maiden"), Giselle ("Giselle"), Scheherazade ("Thousand and One Nights"), Mazurka ("Chopiniana"). In 2001, Alexandra Timofeeva became the winner of the Triumph youth award. In 2006, she was the laureate of the first International Competition ballet dancers in Astana (II prize and silver medal). 2008 brought the artist the title of laureate of the X Open competition of ballet dancers "Arabesque" (III prize). The ballerina is a laureate of the Ballet Magazine Soul of Dance award in the Rising Star nomination (2007).
Evgeny Ivanchenko, the ballerina's former partner, expresses his opinion about the conflict at the Bolshoi.
Every man may want to dance with her, but who has the strength to do it?
Henry Srebny
In the light of recent events, the main domestic stage - the stage of the Bolshoi Theater is about to collapse under the weight of the scandal associated with the dismissal of Anastasia Volochkova from the Bolshoi Theater.
However, many art critics are sure that the safety margin of the Bolshoi scaffolding will last for a very long time - their many years of testing by an almost 60-kilogram "dying swan" is just another proof of this.
And although the leadership of the Bolshoi Theater officially refused to maintain a working relationship with Anastasia Volochkova, again official reason- the former prima refused to sign the contract offered to her, the latter still does not lose hope once again to test for strength main stage countries.
From Anastasia Volochkova goes not only to the leadership of the Bolshoi Theater, but also to people close enough to her, among whom were those who helped Anastasia dance. Already former partner Anastasia - the powerful Yevgeny Ivanchenko, discharged specially for her several years ago from the Mariinsky Theater, was practically the only ballet dancer, who could physically dance with Volochkova, recently filed an application of his own free will to leave the Bolshoi Theater. Anastasia was left without a partner, which was also one of the reasons for her dismissal.
However, Volochkova had a different point of view - she repeatedly stated that Yevgeny Ivanchenko disappeared somewhere right at the very beginning of the season, and no one could find him. The dancer himself denies these statements completely. A few days ago, Ivanchenko agreed to give an interview and express his opinion about the conflict around Anastasia Volochkova.
- Is it true that for some time, according to Volochkova, you were forcibly kept in the Central Clinical Hospital?
Absolute lie. It's funny for me to even hear that. Everything was fine with me, I was constantly in St. Petersburg. Minded his own business.
Eugene, did you receive any threats related to these events? Maybe someone put pressure on you?
Of course not. No one put pressure on me and no one threatened me - I wrote a letter of resignation of my own free will.
- And Volochkova claims that she still cannot contact you ...
It can not be. I think that she did not really try - if she wanted, she would have found it. During all this time you could always find me, call me. Not so long ago, they even got through from one newspaper - I had to give an interview ...
And what is the real reason that you stopped performing with her? Did Ivanchenko really have back problems or is it just press speculation?
It's hard for me to say ... I think that it has become difficult to work - and dance with Volochkova at the Bolshoi, and here (at the Mariinsky Theater). I decided to take care of my health.
- That is, it was hard for you to dance with her, “lift weight”?
Last time yes! In principle, it was possible to get injured.
- Have you actually been in the Central Clinical Hospital for all this time?
No, I didn't lie down. I was sick at home. I have my own massage therapist and he helped me. And I didn't go to the hospital.
- So now you really work, and are not chained to a hospital bed?
No no. Everything is fine, I'm working. Recently I went to Georgia and danced.
According to media reports, the last time you were in Greece, dancing with Volochkova, you received an industrial injury. This is true?
There was no such obvious injury, I was not in the hospital, I didn’t do anything, but it was already hard ...
- Did you really feel that she put on weight?
I can't tell you so directly ... This must be weighed. But, I think that after Greece I added.
Eugene, would you like to add something? Maybe there are some things that do not suit you personally, or would you like to refute any information in the media that concerns you personally?
I would like to refute the fact that I am allegedly hiding somewhere. Or I was forcibly taken to the hospital. It's all funny. And so I didn’t really follow what she had on this moment happening. I don't know yet what else they've come up with.
No matter how trite this question sounds, but please tell us about your nearest creative plans. Where are you going to perform and where can you be seen?
So far only at the Mariinsky Theatre. From October 9, our season begins ... So far, here in St. Petersburg.
- Will you return to the Bolshoi Theatre?
I am not sure, let see what will happen. It depends on what the offer will be and whether it will be at all. When there is a specific proposal, it will be possible to consider it. And I didn't think so.
Once, in the Vesti program, you flattered Anastasia Volochkova as a ballerina. Do you really think so?
The fact is that I gave an interview in Tbilisi. And we had a conversation about something else altogether, they didn’t ask about Nastya there. True, then they asked if anyone else could dance with her besides me? I said that, in principle, anyone can dance, if there is a desire to raise it. But, I think they won't, because the relationship is bad.
Who do you think could become Volochkova's potential partner at the Bolshoi Theater if she returns there?
Potentially, at the Bolshoi Theater, I think Uvarov could dance with her. But, it seems to me that this is unlikely - he only dances with his partners. In general, I doubt that someone will dance with her right now. Just because of the attitude towards Volochkova at the Bolshoi Theater. However, if she finds someone from outside...
And how do you generally feel about the actual dismissal of Volochkova from the Bolshoi Theater? Do you have any particular opinion on this matter?
Here everything is decided by the theater, its management. They have the right to decide who to take, who not to take. Discussing this, I think, is pointless. Indeed, it is their right to take or not to take a dancer. Therefore, what is there to be offended by?
How do you assess the fact that Anastasia is trying to resolve the conflict with the theater administration, bringing it to the attention of the general public, organizing demonstrations, speaking in the press?
Of course, there is nothing good in this. When rubbish is taken out of the hut, when everyone sees what is happening, it is unpleasant. The Bolshoi Theater is the Bolshoi Theatre. And there is no need to expose him in such a light that everyone there is bad, they are expelling everyone. If I were in Nastya's place, I would not do this. No one needs to see this, everything must be resolved quietly and calmly.
That is, you wrote a letter of resignation of your own free will, guided only by the state of physical health?
Yes, I'll say it again. I wrote the resignation letter myself, of my own free will. I just worked for two years and it was already felt that I needed to finish such experiments.