(np) Olga Smirnova leaves Bolshoi Ballet

[Michael Bailey]

https://jezebel.com/russian-ballerina-s-exit-from-the-bolshoi-ballet-is-a-1848669157

… Russian ballerina Olga Smirnova of the Bolshoi Ballet, one of the
reigning ballet companies in the world, has left the company and her native
country to join the Dutch National Ballet, where she will be able to speak
freely.…

“ I have to be honest and say that I am against war with all the fibers of
my soul. It is not only about every other Russian perhaps having relatives
or friends living in Ukraine, or about my grandfather being Ukrainian and
me being quarter Ukrainian. It is that we continue to live as if this were
the 20th century, even though we have formally moved to the 21st century.
In a modern and enlightened world, I expect civilized societies to resolve
political matters only through peaceful negotiations. I never thought I
would be ashamed of Russia, I have always been proud of talented Russian
people, of our cultural and athletic achievements. But now I feel that a
line has been drawn… We may not be at the epicentre of the military
conflict, but we cannot remain indifferent to this global catastrophe.”


The perception of ballet stands in opposition to everything that Russia
glorifies: homophobia, hyper-masculinity, strength above all else, force,
and unlimited power. If ballet is indeed feminine, as it’s always been
understood, perhaps the Kremlin could stand to learn a thing or two from
their silenced artists: the women who will no longer keep their mouths shut.