Encore, Encore

WITH HER STRIKING GREY EYES, supple limbs and extraordinary poise, Irina Kolesnikova is the celebrated star of St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, with fans across the world. When she performed in Taipei, she drew crowds after each show, asking her to autograph their programme booklets and even their arms, necks and backs.

Among them was a woman who asked Kolesnikova to autograph a packet of rice meant for a sick relative. The woman believed that Kolesnikova's gesture would please the relative tremendously and help her recover. That was a fan reaction Kolesnikova never forgot.

Since 2015, the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre has been performing Swan Lake in Singapore nearly every year. And while reviews have sometimes been less than glowing for the show, all critics agree that Kolesnikova is an excellent dancer. In 2015, the company thought it woul…