Key ballet dancers of the Bolshoi Theatre, Natalya Osipova and her husband Ivan Vasiliev, have decided to leave their current work place for the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. According to the dancers words, their were seeking for the creative freedom, which they were unable to gain in the Bolshoi.

      "We want dancing as much as possible. It doesn't matter what the scene's size is. What matters is what can be performed on it, and how", the Bolshoi's principal dancer Ivan Vasiliev said.

      "The main reason of my leaving is the lack of repertoire. Everything that could be performed, is performed. We don't want to lock ourselves into two or three so-called 'signature roles', we want to dance more, especially new choreography.”, prima ballerina Natalya Osipova said. 

      The Mikhailovsky Theatre signed five-year contracts with the dancers, after 18 months of talks. They plan to make their first performance at the new stage on December 1, 2011. All the same, Osipova and Vasiliev have promised to fulfill their commitments to the Bolshoi Theatre. In particular, they will perform in "The Nutcracker", "L'Arlésienne" and some other ballets.

      Natalya Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev, the athletic and unconventional pair, have taken the ballet world by storm since Osipova’s Convent Garden debut as Kitri in "Don Quixote" and Vasiliev’s arrival at the Bolshoi, where he has demonstrated a phenomenal ability to jump and soar. The couple have danced leading roles in “Giselle,” “La Bayadere” and “Romeo and Juliet" performances. They also have a lot of the most prestigiousawards and titles of the world dance scene.

      However, the Bolshoi's General Director, Anatoly Iksanov suggests the main reason behind the dancers' resignation concerns their salaries and has nothing to do with creativity.  

Sources: Lenta.ru  Vesti.ru  Images: Expert.ru