Russians are very discerning about ballet. They're very opinionated about what classical ballet is.

Ballet is incestuous. This world is smaller than small.

Certainly, when you train as a classical dancer, you are very much influenced by 'Giselle.' You see it all the time; you start to learn the steps a little.

[But there are others uneasy about the encroachment of bare skin.] I think as a rule in classical ballet there is not a great call for nudity, ... Our aesthetic is one built around a clarity of line and form which is seen at its best when there is a uniform covering of the body.

Ballet is certainly appreciated in New York, but it has been a part of the Russian culture, history and heritage for hundreds of years, so it's much more instilled in the Russian blood.

Many dancers are content with the repertoire they're given. Others are dissatisfied but don't know why. Then there are a few like me that are curious and grab at everything. Can that curiosity thrive in the ballet world, or should it exist elsewhere? That's the eternal question.