Yuri Grigorovich’s ballets made the Bolshoi’s name. Now the theater may have to pay his assistant for the privilege of dancing them.

Yuri Grigorovich, a renowned choreographer, is credited with giving his assistant, Ruslan Pronin, the copyright to 11 of his ballet productions free of charge shortly before his death. These productions include revised versions of classical ballets like Swan Lake and Giselle, as well as original works such as Spartacus and Ivan the Terrible.

These works played a significant role in building the Bolshoi Theater's global brand. However, Pronin, who founded a nonprofit called the Yuri Grigorovich Foundation and transferred all rights to it, now demands that all theaters pay royalties for performing these ballets. This stands in stark contrast to Grigorovich's own wishes, as his nephew and sole heir, Nikolai Karatygin, who filed a fraud complaint, claims that Grigorovich could not have understood what he was doing when he signed over the rights.

A source close to the investigation suggests that an expert assessment confirmed Karatygin's claim. The Bolshoi Theater has filed its own complaint, leading to two criminal cases being opened, which were later merged. Despite this, the theater is expected to continue performing the ballets, as the rights are likely to remain with Pronin.

Pronin, who danced with the Bolshoi Ballet from 1988 until 2008 and served as the company manager, has restaged Grigorovich's ballets around the world, including a performance of Spartacus six times. However, it is unlikely that the Bolshoi will be left without performances of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake due to Pronin's actions.