The general director of Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater, Anatoly Iksanov, was revoked from his post today after a series of public scandals that started with the acid attack on the ballet company’s artistic director in January 2013. Iksanov is replaced by Vladimir Urin (66), the current director of the Stanislavisky and Nemirov-Danchenko Musical Theater.
Iksanov was named general director of the Bolshoi in 2000 and his contract was to expire in December 2014. In June, Iksanov took a controversial decision by ending the contract with its most prominent male dancer, Nikolai Tsiskaridze. Early in July, the prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova pulled out of ‘Eugene Onegin’ after a casting restructure removed her from the role of Tatiana on the ballet’s opening night. This scandal provoked by the dancer – she is the wife of Vadim Repin – obviously has been the drop of water that has made the vase overflow.
