Yuri Grigorovich, a choreographer and ballet master who helped define Soviet-era Russian ballet, died on May 19, 2025. He was 98. Grigorovich was well-known for his choreographic contributions to classical ballet—most notably his 1968 full-length, Spartacus—as well as for leading the Bolshoi Ballet from 1964 to 1995. His choreography moved the Russian style from its […]

For more than a decade, Olga Smirnova was one of the Bolshoi Ballet’s most recognizable faces. The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 changed everything: Smirnova was the only Russian-born principal from the Bolshoi or Mariinsky to leave her country in protest, writing that she was “against war with all the fibers of my soul.”

In her 15 years at the Bolshoi Ballet, leading soloist Maria Vinogradova has performed dream roles like Juliet and Kitri. And she still loves throwing herself into new challenges, like the title character in John Neumeier’s Anna Karenina. “This part takes my whole soul to perform,” Vinogradova says, adding that the character stayed with her […]

On Instagram this week, Misty Copeland reposted a picture of two Russian ballerinas covered head to toe in black, exposing the Bolshoi’s practice of using blackface in the classical ballet La Bayadère. The post has already received over 60,000 likes and 2,000 comments, starting a long overdue conversation. Comments have been pouring in from every […]

In the November 1954 issue of Dance Magazine, we shared excerpts from an autobiographical essay written by Galina Ulanova. Reflecting on her memories of performing small roles as a self-professedly reluctant ballet student, she wrote, “Belief comes so easily in childhood. And what a pity it is that this belief in what is happening on […]

Whether etching the linear purity of Balanchine’s “Diamonds” or slowly stretching her long arms as Odette, the Bolshoi’s Alena Kovaleva is a promising young talent. Majestic port de bras and impeccable legs that draw into textbook-perfect arabesques make her an ideal choice for both classical and lyrical roles. She’s already advancing at record pace and […]

Several weeks ago, Youth America Grand Prix announced that the lineup for tonight’s Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow gala at Lincoln Center’s Koch Theater would include Bolshoi Ballet principal Olga Smirnova and first soloist Jacopo Tissi. But an article in Page Six published last night states that Smirnova and Tissi were denied […]

We asked you for nominations, compiled your suggestions and let you vote on your favorites. Here’s what you chose: Best Viral Video Winner : Andrew Winghart’s “Cry Me a River” Other Nominees: • Kyle Hanagami’s “Shape of You” • The Kennedy Center’s staff video for National Dance Day • Tiler Peck in Charlotte OC’s “Medicine […]