Royal Ballet: Take That Putin!

The unnamed dancers – one male, one female – have pulled out of the tour which begins next week. The snub will embarrass Mr Putin, as Russia, boasting the Bolshoi in Moscow and the Mariinsky (formerly the Kirov) in St Petersburg, is widely considered the home of classical ballet.

Independent On Sunday.

Yeah, I bet he's quaking in his ballet pumps.

That's presuming these two people actually exist.

An anonymous boycott?

How does that work exactly?

Royal Ballet: The Dream Is Over

"Sergei Polunin, the youngest dancer ever to be made a principal with the Royal Ballet, has resigned with immediate effect.

"The departure of the 21-year-old Ukrainian less than two years after he was promoted to principal came out of the blue. Royal Opera House sources said they were mystified by the decision.

"Polunin was due to appear in The Dream next week and had given no indication in rehearsals that anything was amiss. But today he took Royal Ballet director Dame Monica Mason to one side and told her that he was quitting.

"Sources told The Daily Telegraph that the dancer has told colleagues that he doesn't "want to go on dancing"..."

The Daily Telegraph.

Oooh.
It's been a while since we've had a good ballet scandal.
I bet this turns out to be something more mundane, like another company has offered Polunin loads more money  - or he really doesn't want to go on dancing.

Update: Judith Mackrell on The Guardian blog speculates on 'What's Really Behind Sergei Polunin's Royal Ballet Emergency Exit?'
Could his story be a Billy Elliott in reverse, where his Ukrainian parents pushed him into ballet school when he'd rather have been playing football with his mates, and he's been kicking against this ever since?
Oh, there is a rumour - so far unconfirmed by Fagburn - that he is a heterosexual.