Beyond tutus: Svetlana Zakharova on ballet in Putin’s Russia | Talk to Al Jazeera

Since the age of 10, Svetlana Zakharova has devoted her life to ballet. Originally from Ukraine, her extraordinary talent catapulted her to world fame as the prima ballerina of Russia’s renowned Bolshoi Ballet. Considered one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation, Zakharova is often compared with Russia’s iconic male ballet dancers, Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. But her success has come at a price.