Lopatkina performs "Carmen" debut with Bolshoi, June 17.

This was posted on the Bolshoi's web site in the Russian version.

http://www.bolshoi.ru/ru/season/press-s ... p?id26=671

Lopatkina says she was invited by Ratmansky to dance the role and, when the interviewer commented that this surprised many fans and critics because the image/role of Carmen is so different from the roles she usually dances.

To that Lopatkina replied, "Dancers use their own body's plasticity in order to create an image, a character. If you value this side of the professiona nd not just technique, then it's interesting to try something new. Actors need variation. Probably some sort of opinion has formed about me regarding a particular style that viewers are used to seeing me represent. But (I'm attracted by) new roles and new movements. It's impossible to dance only museum pieces."

Translation my own. But the last sentence can only be interpreted in that way, those are her exact words.