Ms. Smirnova printed a prolonged put up this month to Telegram, the messaging app well-liked in Russia, wherein she mentioned she opposed the warfare “with all of the fibers of my soul.” One in all her grandfathers was Ukrainian, she mentioned, however insisted that was not the only purpose for her opposition. “I by no means thought I might be ashamed of Russia,” she mentioned, including, “We will not be on the epicenter of the navy battle, however we can’t stay detached to this world disaster.”
A spokeswoman for the Bolshoi, which nonetheless lists Ms. Smirnova amongst its dancers on its web site, mentioned it had no touch upon her departure, besides to verify that it was a private choice.
Ms. Smirnova is one in all numerous dancers who’ve left, not less than briefly, the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky Ballet, Russia’s different main firm, for the reason that invasion of Ukraine started. However most of these different dancers, together with the Italian Jacopo Tissi, the Brazilian David Motta Soares and the British dancer Xander Parish, haven’t been Russian.
In an interview from Tallinn, Estonia, final week, Mr. Parish, who dances for the Mariinsky, advised The Sunday Instances, a British newspaper, that he meant to deal with worldwide visitor appearances for the following few months. “It’s arduous to think about not with the ability to return, however I simply have to maintain optimistic and search for alternatives,” he mentioned.
On Wednesday, the Dutch Nationwide Ballet mentioned that Victor Caixeta, a Brazilian soloist on the Mariinsky Ballet, had additionally joined the corporate. “The present circumstances have meant I’ve needed to make the arduous choice of leaving Russia — the place I’ve referred to as dwelling for nearly 5 years,” Mr. Caixeta mentioned in an announcement.