The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre hosted the awarding ceremony of the Soul of Dance competition and a gala concert on April 25. This year, George Bolsunovsky, a principal dancer of the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, became the laureate in the Ballet Star category.

Georgy Bolsunovsky is a favourite of the Krasnoyarsk (and not only) public. In 2022, the audience of the Bolshoi Theatre applauded him after he had performed the role of Diavolino in the ballet Catarina ou la Fille du Bandit based on the music by Cesare Pugni. George's repertoire includes leading roles in the most popular classical ballets and contemporary choreography productions (Swan Lake, Raymonda, La Sylphide, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Carmen, Leningrad Symphony, etc.). Georgy is a winner of numerous competitions; he’s a laureate of the Godenko State Prize of the Krasnoyarsk Region in the field of choreographic art (2022).

The professional ballet award Soul of Dance was established by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Ballet magazine in 1994. The jury of the award consists of the members of the editorial board and creative council of the Ballet magazine. It’s worth reminding that in 2021, the principal dancers of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre Elena Svinko and Anna Fedosova won the Soul of Dance award in the nominated categories Ballet Star and Rising Star respectively; many other principal dancers of the Siberian ballet company also became its laureates earlier.

Honoured Artist of Russia, principal dancer of the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, winner of the Soul of Dance 2017 in the nominated category Ballet Star Yekaterina Bulgutova took part in the gala concert following the awarding ceremony. She performed a variation of Alexander Glazunov's Raymonda, choreographed by Marius Petipa.