Ruslan Skvortsov removed from the role of teacher- tutor at the Bolshoi
My translation of his message posted on Insta, parentheses were added for clarification by me.
"David (Motta Soares), Klim (Elfimov), Fuad (Mamedov) !
My dear students (if I may say so)! Yesterday, the theater's management decided that for your benefit and the creative perspective of the theater, I have been removed from the responsibility of being your teacher-tutor, which position I held by oral agreement with the artistic director (Makhar Vaziev), for the past 1.5 seasons. And since this is only good, then you cannot argue with that! You have already been assigned a new mentor, whom I wish the best!
And to you, I want to say only one thing: each of you is unique, immensely talented, and with great creative potential! It was a great honor for me to work with you and I was amazed at how attentively you listened to my comments and advice, thank you for your trust! Be healthy and believe in yourself !!!"
Skvortsov is supposedly being replaced by Vitaly Breusenko, a retired premier of the Stanislavsky-Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater in the 90s, a Laureate of numerous international competitions, winning gold medals at Perm and Paris. Breusenko was the chief choreographer at the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theater and but is now working as a private ballet coach/fitness trainer at an athletic club in Moscow and has done some freelance coaching for some productions at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky. He was spotted at the recent BT Raymonda, sitting in the pedagogical box.
While Skvortsov is dismissed as a coach, he is still working in the theater as an artist. He's scheduled to dance Emeralds on the 20th! But it's still strange - they usually try to give the work of a teacher to their artists who are ending their careers. Muscovites are complaining about why we are replacing Bolshoi artists with outsiders, especially why we are replacing an incredibly gifted artist that has been working in the theater for over two decades. Balletomanes remarked about the positive growth seen in Skvortsov's students over the past year, particularly Motta Soares. In addition to anger about Skvortsov's dismissal. There has been criticism for a while about the decaying style and spirit of 'Moscow' in the Bolshoi theater, both in terms of management (neither the general director nor the ballet director has Bolshoi roots) and dancers (growing number of non-BBA graduates at prominent ranks) for a LONG time now. So all that drama is being recycled now as people are still questioning why people who have nothing to do with the Bolshoi Theater have joined the staff. My favorite quote from the forums "Why it is necessary to drag tutors from Krasnoyarsk when Skvortsov is right there and clearly wants to teach?" The outrage at BT is out of control.