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Olga Smirnova withdraws from the Bolshoi Ballet due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine

March 17, 2022
Muhammad

written by Oscar Holland, CNN

One of the stars of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, Olga Smirnova, withdrew due to Russia’s withdrawal. Invasion of Ukraine Instead, they will dance to the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam.

The move comes after the Saint Petersburg-born ballerina decried the conflict, saying “a line has been drawn”.

The Dutch National Ballet said in a statement published on Wednesday that Smirnova “was received a warm welcome.” She is expected to make her debut there with the play “Raymonda”, which will premiere in early April.

Smirnova joined the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet in 2011, before taking leading roles in the shows “Swan Lake” and “Giselle” among others. She has since toured internationally with the troupe and made guest appearances at the American Ballet Theater and the Vienna State Ballet.

Smirnova, whose grandfather was Ukrainian, wrote on Telegram that she “opposed war with every fiber of my soul.”

“I never imagined I would be ashamed of Russia,” she wrote in the statement, which was later republished by the Dutch National Ballet. “I have always been proud of the talented Russian people, of our cultural and sporting achievements. But now I feel that a line has been drawn between before and after.

“It hurts that people are dying, that people are losing roofs over their heads or having to leave their homes. And who would have thought a few weeks ago that all this would happen? We may not be in the epicenter of a military conflict, but we cannot remain indifferent to this global catastrophe” .

Olga Smirnova performing in “Casse-Noisette et Compagnie” (The Nutcracker and Company), a creation of French dancer and choreographer, Jean-Christophe Mayo, in Monaco in 2015. credit: Valerie Hach/AFP/Getty Images

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In a statement, the artistic director of the Dutch National Ballet, Ted Brandsen, described Smirnova as “an exceptional dancer and I admire her greatly.”

“It is an honor to be dancing with our company in the Netherlands – even if the circumstances that led to this move were very sad,” he added.

The announcement comes just over a week after two other Bolshoi members – Brazilian soloist David Mota Soares and Italian lead dancer Jacopo Tisi – announced their resignations. explain his decision via InstagramAl-Taisi said Russia’s actions left him “unable to continue my career in Moscow,” adding that “no war can be justified.”
Tugan Sukhev, the Bolshoi Theatre’s music director, also resigned earlier this month, amid mounting pressure to condemn the invasion. at lengthy statementHe also announced his resignation from the Toulouse National Capitol Orchestra, saying that being invited to speak publicly left him with the “impossible choice of choosing between beloved Russian musicians and French musicians”.
The Bolshoi is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world and is among the most prestigious cultural institutions in Russia, although it has long enjoyed links for the Russian state.
As a result, the UK’s Royal Opera House has canceled A residency for the band, scheduled for this summer, according to a statement reported by CNN.
Elsewhere, the New York Metropolitan Opera’s decision to stop working With any Russian artists or organizations supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin, she is likely to freeze her relationship with the Bolshoi. The two organizations are currently slated to co-produce Wagner’s “Lohengrin” next year.

Top photo caption: Dancer Olga Smirnova during a concert by the State Academic Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra of Russia and the Sveshnikov Russian Academic Choir at the Historical Theater of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

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