Morrison says the renowned Bolshoi has recovered after an acid attack blinded its director four years ago. He describes how the institution has created inspiring art — despite frequent turmoil — throughout its 241-year history.
General view of the hall from the Bolshoi Theater stage in Moscow. (Alexander Natruskin/AFP/Getty Images)
Book Excerpt: 'Bolshoi Confidential'
Russian dancer Svetlana Zakharova (center) and the Bolshoi ballet dancers perform during a rehearsal for a new production of Tchaikovsky's "The Sleeping Beauty" by Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on Nov. 16, 2011. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images)Dancers participate in a dress rehearsal of the ballet "Le Corsaire" by composer Adolphe Adam and directed by Alexei Ratmanski on the stage of Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on June 19, 2007. (Vladimir Fedorenko/AFP/Getty Images)A picture taken on Oct. 24, 2011 during a media tour in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow shows journalists observing the auditorium. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)
