NOVAT terminates contract with Georgian prima ballerina Nino Ananiashvili
By Khatia Bzhalava
Thursday, January 14
Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre in Russia terminated its contract with Georgian prima ballerina and Artistic Director of the State Ballet of Georgia Nina Ananiashvili as the information on their cooperation was leaked before an official announcement. NOVAT (Novosibirsk State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet) announced yesterday that as a result of negotiations between the artistic director of NOVAT Vladimir Kekhman and Nina Ananiashvili, it was decided to terminate the previously concluded contract by agreement of the parties.
Last week, NOVAT reported about suspending its contract with Ananiashvili as the Georgian prima ballerina had provided information about her engagement with the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre in an exclusive interview with Radio Freedom published on January 6. Ananiashvili voiced in the interview that she had decided to head the ballet troupe of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre and was supposed to arrive in Novosibirsk at the end of January to meet the group. According to her, she would work in parallel with the troupes in both countries. On January 9, NOVAT published a statement where it was stated that disclosing the identity of the director before the official introduction to the team is an extreme manifestation of the disrespect of the troupe.
“Information has been published in several media platforms that Nino Ananiashvili has been invited to lead the ballet troupe at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. The management of the theatre believes that announcing the name of the director before a formal presentation of the new artistic director to the troupe is extremely disrespectful to the team,” reads the statement released by NOVAT.
Ananiashvili has not commented on the termination of her contract with NOVAT yet.
