Another young artistic director to head Bolshoi Ballet

Russia's famed Bolshoi Ballet is mixing youth with experience in its announcement Monday of another young choreographer as its artistic director, as well as the return of the company's former head.

Anatoly Iksanov, general director of the Bolshoi Theatre, announced the appointment of choreographer Yuri Burlaka to the Moscow ballet's top post.

Burlaka, 39, will replace Alexei Ratmansky, whose four-year tenure as director has won high praise by some for revitalizing the historic troupe with his new productions and for fostering fresh, young stars.

However, others have accused him of ignoring the Bolshoi's traditional repertoire and focussing too much attention on works from abroad.

The 39-year-old Ratmansky — who last year collaborated with his successor Burlaka for a well-received new staging of 19th century classic Le Corsaire — announced in December he was stepping down to focus on his choreography.

He later also turned down an offer to become the New York City Ballet's resident choreographer.

Rather than sever his Bolshoi ties completely, Ratmansky chose to remain the troupe's principal guest choreographer and will focus on new productions, Iksanov said.

Burlaka, who officially begins Jan. 1, 2009, has largely made a name for himself reviving 19th century dance classics.

Former director to return

In a surprising, related development, Iksanov also revealed that Yuri Grigorovich, the Bolshoi's Soviet-era artistic director, will also return to the company.

Grigorovich, the reportedly iron-fisted 81-year-old choreographer who led the Bolshoi from 1964 to 1995, will mainly be responsible for overseeing the company's staging of the nine full-length ballets that he choreographed, including productions of Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker.

The long-running director left amid a dispute with management in 1995, which also prompted the company's first-ever cancellation when dancers — including his wife, Bolshoi prima ballerina Natalia Bessmertnova — went on strike and refused to perform. Bessmertnova died last month at the age of 66.

Some ballet commentators are eyeing the trio warily, fearing battles among the three over the balancing of beloved classics with vibrant, new creations.

However, Iksanov reiterated Monday that his desire is for the company to continue in a forward-thinking direction.

"In making this decision [selecting Burlaka] I was guided by the principle that the new artistic director of the Bolshoi Theatre's ballet should be the heir of Ratmansky, preserving his vector of the ballet's development," Iksanov told Russian news agency RIA Novosti.