The Bolshoi Ballet, one of the world’s oldest and most
respected ballet companies and academies, has been the victim of much drama and
scrutiny in the last year. On January 17, the chief of the Bolshoi Ballet, Sergei
Filin, was the victim of an acid attack that took place outside his home. The
acid, which was thrown on his face, left severe burns and has impaired his
vision. Many suspected the attack was executed by a criminal who was working
with a male dancer inside the ballet company.
This situation was one of the first inclinations that given
to the world about the deep discord among dancers at Bolshoi. A new report brings
to question more ethical concerns that ballet must face.
Joy Womack, a Texas-born ballerina, was the first American
to ever be admitted to the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, a school that trains the
best ballerinas in the world. She not only was asked to attend the Academy, but
upon graduation, she was asked to join the ballet company. Again, this is the
first time an American has ever been asked to dance professionally with the
Bolshoi.
Eager to make history and dance with one of the best
companies in the world, Womack accepted. Since then, she has met a series of
disparaging events that have led her to quit. She was concerned that she was
not getting roles that fit her ability. She was ready to take on solo roles,
but was told that since she was an American, she’d have to pay $10,000 to get a
soloist role. Deeply saddened by this development along with the infighting
that already existed within the Bolshoi, she quit and decided to tell her
story.
If you were the PR practitioner at the Bolshoi, how would
you handle the scandals that have taken place in the past year? What specifically
would you communicate to address the bribery situation Womack described? Do you
feel that the Bolshoi has been transparent enough through these crises?
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