Olga Smirnova Quits The Bolshoi Over Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

AMSTERDAM (CelebrityAccess) — Olga Smirnova, a number one Russian ballet dancer introduced that she has left the distinguished Bolshoi Ballet firm over the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a press release printed on the social media platform Telegram, and later republished by the Dutch Nationwide Ballet, Smirnova stated:

“I by no means thought I might be ashamed of Russia. I’ve at all times been happy with proficient Russian folks, of our cultural and athletic achievements. However now I really feel {that a} line has been drawn that separates the earlier than and the after.

“It hurts that persons are dying, that persons are dropping the roofs over their heads or are compelled to desert their houses. And who would have thought a couple of weeks in the past that every one of this is able to occur? We will not be on the epicenter of the navy battle, however we can’t stay detached to this international disaster.”

Smirnova studied dance at each the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg and the Royal Ballet College in London and was instantly recruited into the Bolshoi as a soloist upon commencement in 2011. Two years later, she was named main soloist after her second season and prima ballerina in 2016.

After asserting her departure from the Bolshoi, she was instantly accepted by employed by the Dutch Nationwide Ballet.