Russia's Bolshoi, shunned in West, heads to Beijing for first tour since Covid

Principal dancers of the Bolshoi Theatre, Elizaveta Kokoreva and Dmitry Smilevsky take part in a rehearsal in Moscow. Photo: Reuters

Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet, grounded by Covid-19 and then shunned in the West since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, returns to international touring next week for the first time since the pandemic with a trip to Beijing.

Its dancers hope this will herald a return to the global stage for the crown jewel of Russian culture, which toured the world even in the most tense days of the Cold War.