MOSCOW, June 8 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Bolshoi Theater won’t sign a new contract with its premier dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze following months of legal disputes and scandals, Russian media reported on Saturday citing the theater.
The Bolshoi Theater’s spokeswoman, Katerina Novikova, told Russian media outlets that the theater doesn’t plan to sign a new contract with ballet star Tsiskaridze this year. His current contract expires on June 30.The dancer has been working with the Bolshoi for some 20 years.
Tsiskaridze “received a notification saying that no new fixed-term employment contract will be prolonged,” Novikova told Business FM radio station.
Channel One state-run TV channel reported that the dancer has confirmed receiving the notification paper.
In February, the dancer was reprimanded twice for giving interviews without obtaining permission from the theater’s management. Tsiskaridze had earlier criticized the results of the theater’s six-year renovation work.