Sergei Yurevitch Filin the 42 year old Russian ballet dancer artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow was attacked with acid by an unknown assailant. He suffered third-degree burns to his face and is in danger of losing his eyesight. The attack came after a lengthy period of infighting and rows within the Bolshoi Ballet company. Ellen Barry has published an article in the New York Times titled ‘Harsh Light Falls on Bolshoi After Acid Attack’, in which she states “The stories about vengeance at the Bolshoi Ballet go back centuries: The rival who hid an alarm clock in the audience, timed to go off during Giselle’s mad scene, or who threw a dead cat onto the stage at curtain in lieu of flowers. There are whispers of needles inserted in costumes, to be discovered in midpirouette, or - the worst - broken glass nestled in the tip of a toeshoe. The ballet has experienced poisonous infighting in recent years as artistic directors have come and gone. But this ballet-loving city awoke … to a special horror. A masked man had flung acid in the face of Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi, causing third-degree burns and severely damaging his eyes. Video from the hospital showed Mr. Filin’s head covered entirely in bandages, with openings for his eyes and mouth, his eyelids grossly swollen. Though police officials said they were exploring theories including disputes over money, Mr. Filin’s colleagues at the Bolshoi said they suspected professional jealousy. In recent weeks Mr. Filin’s tires had been slashed, his car scratched, his two cellphones disabled, his personal e-mail account hacked and private correspondence published, according to Bolshoi officials.”  Inspired by Ellen Barry, New York Times ow.ly/gXHut Image source Bolshoi ow.ly/gXHsr Harsh light falls on Bolshoi after acid attack (February 3 2013)

Sergei Yurevitch Filin the 42 year old Russian ballet dancer artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow was attacked with acid by an unknown assailant. He suffered third-degree burns to his face and is in danger of losing his eyesight. The attack came after a lengthy period of infighting and rows within the Bolshoi Ballet company. Ellen Barry has published an article in the New York Times titled ‘Harsh Light Falls on Bolshoi After Acid Attack’, in which she states “The stories about vengeance at the Bolshoi Ballet go back centuries: The rival who hid an alarm clock in the audience, timed to go off during Giselle’s mad scene, or who threw a dead cat onto the stage at curtain in lieu of flowers. There are whispers of needles inserted in costumes, to be discovered in midpirouette, or – the worst – broken glass nestled in the tip of a toeshoe. The ballet has experienced poisonous infighting in recent years as artistic directors have come and gone. But this ballet-loving city awoke … to a special horror. A masked man had flung acid in the face of Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi, causing third-degree burns and severely damaging his eyes. Video from the hospital showed Mr. Filin’s head covered entirely in bandages, with openings for his eyes and mouth, his eyelids grossly swollen. Though police officials said they were exploring theories including disputes over money, Mr. Filin’s colleagues at the Bolshoi said they suspected professional jealousy. In recent weeks Mr. Filin’s tires had been slashed, his car scratched, his two cellphones disabled, his personal e-mail account hacked and private correspondence published, according to Bolshoi officials.”

 

Inspired by Ellen Barry, New York Times ow.ly/gXHut Image source Bolshoi ow.ly/gXHsr