Bolshoi Ballet of censorship. It was the first time a show has been pulled in such a way since the collapse of the Soviet Union, sparking rumours about the motivation behind it. Today the Bolshoi Ballet remains one of the world's foremost ballet companies, in addition to being one of the largest, with approximately 220 dancers. The word "bolshoi" means "big" or "grand" in Russian. The company operates on a hierarchical system, similar to those used by other leading European ballet companies, with senior dancers ranked as principals, and descending in order of importance through lead soloist, first soloist, soloist and finally,
Grand Magal of Touba commemorates his 1895 exile to Gabon by the French colonial government. "Magal" is a Wolof word derived from the verb "mag," which means "to be important" or "to be old"; the noun form is translated as "celebration" or "anniversary." There are other Mouride magals annually, such as the Magal of Saint Louis, which commemorates a prayer performed by the saint in 1895 in defiance of colonial authorities. However, the Grand Magal is the most important and widely attended of the Mouride magals - indeed, it is the largest celebration in Senegal, religious or secular. The Grand Magal originates in a