Ballerina Volochkova, Bolshoi Theatre face off in court

The case of Anastasia Volochkova against the administration of the Bolshoi Theater of Opera and Ballet was to begin today in Moscow. As learned by Rosbalt, the ballerina made this known during a press conference at the Baltika radio station last Friday. She said, "This was not a voluntary exit from the theater but an immoral and complete dismissal."

The court is to judge the legality of the dismissal and, if it finds it unlawful, would reinstate the ballet dancer. "The Bolshoi Theater has never lost its significance for me, and all the more in that I have worked there for five years," Volchkova noted. Moreover, she stressed that she is "a Russian ballerina who wants to dance in Russia, although leaving to dance abroad would be the simplest solution to the problem." She is convinced that by bringing the case before the public she is offering hope that the rights of artists can be defended.

Anastasia Volochkova was dismissed by the Bolshoi Theater on September 16 officially for "professional unsuitability."