Born in Tblisi, Georgia, Nina Ananiashvili joined the Bolshoi Ballet in 1981 and later became the company's prima ballerina. She has guested with companies all over the world and was a principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre from 1993 to 2009. In 2004, Ananiashvili returned to her native country as the artistic director of the State Ballet of Georgia. Sergei Filin, now retired from dancing, was appointed as artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet in 2011. The excerpt seen here was one of two featured dances by Alexei Ratmansky, whose work was then virtually unknown in America but has now gone on to become ABT's Resident Choreographer and one of the world's most sought-after dancemakers.

Dance Title: Charms of Mannerism
Choreography by: Alexei Ratmansky (1997)
Music: François Couperin
Performers: Nina Ananiashvili, Sergei Filin