The horrifying events in Georgia have coincided with the first appearances in the UK by the Georgian Ballet. Here is a deeply moving interview with Nina Ananiashvili, now the director of the Georgian Ballet.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 500470.ece

I find a terrible irony in the fact that the Russian invasion of Georgia has coincided with the opening of the Olympic Games in China. One of the fundamental principles of the Olympics as drawn up by the ancient Greeks was that all hostilities were suspended for the duration of the games. Such niceties of course are now an historical irrelevance in these brutal and 'enlightened' modern times.

For those who may be unaware of the events leading up to the invasion and the political significance of those events. Here is an excellent article in today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... orgia.nato

In fact, I'm also kind of concerned about Irma Nioradze, who is listed as a Principal ballerina with the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet troupe. It will be extremely understandable with her emotional split about concerns for her home country and her continued association with the Mariinsky Theatre, in my humble opinion.

More about Nina's thoughts in today's Guardian. Better picture on line than in print, in fact I think the one in the paper isn't of Nina at all.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/au ... llet.dance

An interesting article on the BBC's web site concerning Grigol (Gregory) Vashadze who apart from being married to Nina Ananishvili is the Foreign Minister of Georgia; it seems Gregory pre-empted the Russians by returning his Russian passport before a political motion to strip him of his citizenship.

His wife Nina Ananiashvili (referred to by the BBC as Nino, the Georgian form of her name) also has joint Georgian/Russian nationality, but has not been asked to relinquish her passport and intends to remain a Russian citizen.

Full details here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8343117.stm

I wonder if it is more advantageous for her ballet career if she retains her dual citizenship.