Alexei Ratmansky On His Years Running The Bolshoi

“Being at the Bolshoi means being caught up in politics. The problem is that both the Bolshoi and the Kirov are considered Russian institutions – and to Russians, our classical ballets are the most important tradition. For example, very few Bolshoi dancers attend performances of visiting companies. When I brought in great coaches and teachers, the Bolshoi ballet masters wouldn’t come to watch. I left because there was too much pressure to stick to a narrow horizon.”

The YouTube Symphony’s Techno-Jungle

“Not surprisingly, it was also a multimedia extravaganza. Digital imagery was projected inside and outside the Opera House. Trippy psychedelic colours emblazoned the walls of the Concert Hall during Grainger’s Arrival Platform Humlet, and whirling geometric shapes for the contrapuntal intricacies of Bach’s Toccata for organ, BWV 540.”