MOSCOW (AP) 鈥 Russia鈥檚 Bolshoi Theater has removed a ballet dedicated to dancer Rudolf Nureyev from its repertoire, citing a new Russian law that expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting LGBT rights, its director said Wednesday.
Bolshoi director Vladimir Urin said the ballet 鈥淣ureyev" had been dropped 鈥渋n connection with the newly signed law, which unambiguously deals with issues related to propaganda of non-traditional values," the Interfax news agency reported.
The law in December bans advertising, media and online resources, books, films and theater productions deemed to contain 鈥減ropaganda of non-traditional sexual relations,鈥 expanding a 2013 ban on such 鈥漰ropaganda" aimed at minors.
The ban on any 鈥渄emonstration of non-traditional relations鈥 contained in the new law apparently prompted the Bolshoi to pull the ballet because it touches on Nureyev鈥檚 homosexuality.
Rights groups have harshly criticized the law as a state encouragement of homophobia, intolerance and discrimination.
Nureyev, a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer, defected from the Soviet Union to the West in 1961.
The ballet choreographed by prominent theater and film director Kirill Serebrennikov premiered in 2017. Its performances scheduled for the last year were cancelled after Serebrennikov criticized and left Russia.
Last month, the Bolshoi also cancelled another Serebrennikov production, the ballet 鈥淎 Hero of Our Time鈥 that was supposed to premier in May. It didn't give any reason for the cancellation.
