Olga Smirnova (ballet) instrument of her art form", revealing his enthusiasm for her pas de deux with Semyon Chudin at the Royal Opera House. He also acclaimed her roles the same week of Odette-Odile in "Swan Lake". The enthusiasm was reflected by Clement Crisp of the "Financial Times" while Zoë Anderson of "The Independent" was impressed by her performance of Nikiya in "La Bayadère" in which she "carrie[d] the story with aplomb". Olga Smirnova (ballet) Olga Smirnova (born 1991) is a Russian ballet dancer who is currently a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet. She has danced at venues across Europe as well
Ballet company unlike ballerinas female character dancers do not dance en pointe. The largest ballet company in the world is the Bolshoi Ballet of Moscow, which employs over 240 dancers, as of 2010. The largest companies in Western Europe and North America employ around one hundred. Many companies have a music director, generally a conductor by profession, though this is often a part-time position. The music director has a lower status in ballet than he has in opera, where he is the head of the company. Freelance conductors are hired to conduct specific productions as and when required. Large companies have their