“At different times in its history the Soviet Union has expressed its pride in the successes of ballerinas such as Galina Ulanova and Maya Plisetskaya, has applauded Malika Sabirova, known as the pearl of the east, and has lauded to the heavens Nadezhda Pavlova when her star had only just begun to shine in the ballet firmament. They were proud of them, they were enraptured by them, but behind everyone of our outstanding dancers shone the powerful trade mark brands of the best theatres in the country. The Soviet Union has not existed for some time; the illustrious ballet companies have been given “new” names, - in fact they are the old but no less illustrious names; but behind their dancers the same unsinkable brands still remain. And that, it seemed, is how it always would be. That is until ten years ago there appeared on stage a graduate of the Vaganova ballet school whose destiny it was to give the existing tradition a shake up – Irina Kolesnikova”.