In Jan. 2013, Sergei Filin, artistic director of Russia’s celebrated Bolshoi Ballet, was attacked by an unknown assailant who threw acid in his face. The Bolshoi’s ballet company had long been part of the nation’s identity, but this mysterious and vicious attack thrust it into the limelight for all the wrong reasons, pulling back the curtain on the scandals and infighting plaguing the iconic institution.
When one of their own – male soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko – was arrested and charged with the crime, it revealed a company defined by personality clashes, power struggles and professional jealousy, something Bolshoi insiders had known for decades.
