In a bold but risky move, Smirnova denounced the war in Ukraine last week in a post on the internationally popular messaging platform Telegram.
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“We cannot remain indifferent to this global catastrophe,” Smirnova wrote.
“I never thought that I would be ashamed of Russia,” the ballerina continued in her post. She called herself a quarter Ukrainian with a Ukrainian grandfather. However, this alone did not affect her decision, she wrote: “We continue to live as if it were the 20th century.”
“Now I feel like a line has been drawn dividing before and after. It hurts that people are dying, that people are losing their roof over their heads or are forced to leave their homes.”
Brandsen said Smirnova was contacted through a mutual friend to ask to join his company. He said he had admired her for years, mostly from a distance, ever since she caught his eye at the graduation performance of the famed Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg. (Smirnova could not be contacted for comment on Wednesday.)
He also welcomed former Mariinsky dancer Victor Caixeta from Brazil, who also left Russia in protest. According to Brandsen, Kaisheta left the Mariinsky together with the first English soloist of the troupe, Xander Parish, and Parish’s wife. Last week, Parish announced his departure from the Mariinsky on Instagram, saying he was leaving Russia “at least until peace comes.” My heart is turned to the people of Ukraine.”
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The war has a huge impact on the international ballet community, where Russian and Ukrainian dancers are widespread due to the fame of ballet in both countries and the centuries-old roots of this art form. Faced with a flood of urgent requests, Brandsen has already hired three Ukrainian dancers, two of whom have already arrived, and his organization is raising money to take on more. “We have more applications than we could handle,” he said with obvious regret.
In addition, the Dutch National Ballet Academy, the company’s training ground, has taken in seven students from Ukraine, and the school has found a home for them with Dutch families.
The war had a devastating effect on a large number of foreign Russian and Ukrainian dancers aspiring to ballet careers around the world, which Brandsen saw among longtime members of his company.
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“It’s been a really tough few weeks,” he said. “We have Ukrainian dancers whose parents are hiding in bomb shelters.” One 12-year-old veteran of his company has family in Kharkiv, which has been heavily bombed by the Russians.
“She managed to get her mother out and she arrived here,” Brandsen said. “But her brother and father cannot leave because they have to fight.
“Everyone in the whole ballet world is trying to do what they can,” he added. “I can’t offer a job to everyone, but I can offer lessons and training for dancers who are looking to train while looking for work elsewhere.” Ukrainian dancers who live in Russia also reach out to us, and Brandsen said he is “trying to send them to other countries where we have connections.”
As for Smirnova, she began rehearsals on Wednesday and from April 3 will be dancing in Amsterdam in the classical Russian ballet Raymonda. All tickets for its premiere are already sold out.