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I met Alexei Ratmansky in Copenhagen last December, shortly before he moved to Moscow on 1 January 2004 to take office as the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet.

Ratmansky, a graduate of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, was a principal dancer of the Royal Danish Ballet where he had worked for seven years both as a dancer and a choreographer. In April I was impressed by Ratmansky's gripping production of "Anna Karenina" for the Royal Danish Ballet, and I have also greatly admired his ballets created in the past for the Kirov Ballet, especially "Cinderella" and "Middle Duo".

Kevin Ng: Mr. Ratmansky, did you apply for the job of the Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director, or did they offer the job to you?

Alexei Ratmansky: No, I didn't apply. I was doing choreography in Moscow in the spring of 2003. One day I was called into the office of the Bolshoi Theatre's director Anatoly Iksanov. After I heard this offer, I was shocked, because I wouldn't have dreamed of that. I couldn't answer in the beginning, because I was very busy trying to finish my ballet for the Bolshoi, Shostakovich's "The Bright Stream". And I asked for some time to think about the offer. Subsequently I decided that I couldn't miss this fantastic opportunity. It will be a 3 1/2 year contract, and I am starting in January 2004.

Why do you think that you are the right person for the job?

I am not sure if I am the right person, but I am willing to try. I think that they are interested in someone who is a choreographer with a Russian schooling and who has worked in the West for some time, and so can have a different viewpoint. I was born in St. Petersburg, trained in the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, and after graduation danced with the Kiev Ballet. After six years, I went to Canada and worked with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

What plans have you devised for the Bolshoi after you start work as the artistic director?

One of my first projects would be to do an all-Massine programme. It would be quite important to revive some works by the Ballets Russes, and I love his works. Massine started in Moscow and worked with the Bolshoi for a very short time, so his roots were in Moscow. Also his style is very deeply connected to the dramatic tradition of the Bolshoi Theatre, and would work fine. We are doing negotiations right now. Since the contracts haven't been signed, I'd rather not talk about it now, but "The Three-Cornered Hat" is one of the ballets.

I'd also want to find more new Russian choreographers. I think there are quite a few working in the West, e.g. Yuri Possokhov from the San Francisco Ballet. He's very talented. One of his works will be premiered in May in the Bolshoi. Another talented young choreographer is now doing a new production of "Romeo and Juliet" for the Bolshoi (which will be seen in London this summer.) His name is Radu Poclitaru, and I hope that he's going to do more work for the Bolshoi.

I haven't actually started work yet, but I can definitely tell you about the directions which I'd go with regard to the new repertory. The classics will be performed in Yuri Grigorovich's versions. The Bolshoi has to have all the classics, and I am not going to change that.

You have produced your version of "The Nutcracker" in Copenhagen. Don't you want to do the other classics in Moscow?

I would rather do new original ballets.

Do you think that the Grigorovich versions of the classics are distinguished?

Regardless of my taste, I don't think I'll change or restage the classics, because it would further limit the room for creating new works. And creations are what the dancers of the Bolshoi need now.

Will Grigorovich still have any influence when you take over as director?

I think it's important that he takes part in the revivals of his ballets. But he's not working with the Theatre any more.

Do you think that reconstruction of the classics is the right approach?

I think it's the right approach for the Kirov. It's important to know what was meant and how it looked, even though it doesn't look the same now. And it's important to know the original proportion of mime and dancing, and to see the original sets and costumes. I think it's very smart of them.

And do you have any intention to stage for the Bolshoi your version of "Cinderella" which you created for the Kirov in 2002?

Not really, I wouldn't like to do that.

Will you create some pure dance ballets?

Yes, of course, because it's tempting to use all these superb talented dancers when I do new works for the Bolshoi. Actually I can tell you my plan to choreograph the other Shostakovich ballets. He has three ballets. I've done "The Bright Stream", and I am going to do the other ballet "The Bolt" next season. The third one "The Golden Age" has already been choreographed by Grigorovich.

You are familiar with the Kirov, having created ballets for them. Do you agree that it's a much stronger company than the Bolshoi, in terms of reputation and dancers?

In terms of reputation, yes. But in terms of dancers, I wouldn't be so sure, especially thinking of the principal men, and Svetlana Zakharova who has now joined the Bolshoi. Of course, the Mariinsky started to widen their repertory much earlier, and also they tour a lot and much more than the Bolshoi (which I don't think is always good). So right now they are more well-known.

But Zakkharova is Kirov-trained, and not Bolshoi-trained. Are you going to create any work for her? I remember that you didn't select her to dance your "Cinderella".

What happened was that the star principals of the Kirov came and went, and Zakharova had another engagement at the time. She's wonderful of course. She danced in two of my ballets - "Middle Duo" and "Poeme de l'Extase".

What are the Bolshoi's future touring plans?

London in the summer, and New York in the summer of 2005. These are all very important tours.

Do you agree that the Bolshoi has been in decline for over a decade, if not more?

I think the problem was that they had no clear idea of where they were going, unlike the Kirov which has reconstructions on one hand and Balanchine on the other. There is a very clear picture of what they want and will do in future. Also the Bolshoi has the tradition of big dramatic ballets. It's really difficult to find people who can do it now, and so I suppose that a new style of the Bolshoi has yet to be found.

What do you consider as the most valuable aspects of the Bolshoi’s tradition?

There are a few things - male virtuoso dancing, the ability to jump and cover space on stage, to fill out movements with emotions, and to make it big and grand in scale. All of that is too good and valuable to lose. If you look at the Bolshoi dancers now, there is a specific style which is unique and special. This style has found its own identity, but I am thinking where it will go from there in future.

Would you say that the Bolshoi is not so strong in terms of ballerinas then?

The female corps de ballet is very good right now. Physically I find them even better than the Kirov's. Nina Ananiashvili is the most famous internationally, but she is at the end of her career, though still brilliant. Galina Stepanenko and Nadezhda Gracheva are both very interesting ballerinas and mistresses of their art, but they were not lucky enough to have ballets staged for them at the right time, and so they haven't realised all their potential, I feel. There is a very talented dancer, Maria Alexandrova, who is a hope of the company. She hasn't danced the classics yet, she's just starting to get these parts. Another gifted young dancer, Svetlana Lunkina, is on maternity leave this season. I can also name Maria Allash, Anastasia Goriacheva and Ekaterina Shipulina. So it's not bad at all, you see.

Are there any young male dancers whom we haven't noticed yet?

Dmitry Goudanov isn't that well-known yet, but he is exceptionally talented. He hasn't danced all the classics either. And Dmitry Belogolovtsev, perhaps.

Do you agree that the Bolshoi dancers are not that musical, compared to Western dancers?

I think it comes from how we listen to the music. It is slightly different from the approach of Western dancers. Their musicality is in the feet and legs, while for Russian dancers, it's more in the upper body and the port de bras. Also Russian dancers are not so good in dancing rhythmically with their feet, but I can't say that they don't listen to the music.

What's the latest situation regarding Anastasia Volochkova?

She is fired. It's surprising that she has become the most famous Russian dancer in the world because of her conflict with the Bolshoi, isn't it?

Do you have plans to invite some guest dancers?

It's good to have guests sometimes to give our dancers the opportunity to compare different styles and interpretations. But the Bolshoi has so many dancers - 220 - and is the largest company in the world. My goal is to develop all these artists instead of taking dancers from other companies and letting our talents wait around in the corner. I also like the fact that most of them come from the same school.

Will you focus more on the Bolshoi's young talent?

Of course we need to find young dancers, but we cannot just throw away the old dancers, and I need to find the right balance. For me my focus is on the existing great dancers, to use them to the maximum, to find the ballets that will develop them as artists, and to give them the right parts. This is the main objective in balancing the repertory and to present the dancers.

What have you gained from your seven years with the Royal Danish Ballet, as a dancer and as a choreographer?

I've danced very good interesting roles here, and I've worked with many people who have influenced me deeply and whom I treasure. What I like the most about the Bournonville ballets is the mime tradition. It's unique, and for my taste it's the best way to act on stage. I like the Danish style more than the English style of miming which I find too naturalistic. And it's much more detailed than the Russian way of acting - more nuanced and more sophisticated. I was trying to use that a lot in my Shostakovich ballet in Moscow. What works perfectly here is that the story is very clear, whereas at the Bolshoi the stories of the classics are lost behind the dancing. This is something which I'd like to work on.

Will you stage some Bournonville ballets for the Bolshoi?

No plans. It's quite different, and I don't think it would work with the Bolshoi dancers, because it will not show them at their best. There is very little dancing and plenty of mime. Also because of Grigorovich's influence, the mime is nowadays considered as second-rate.

But don't they dance "La Sylphide"?

Yes, but it does not look Danish at all. Everywhere in Russia we have the Elsa Marianne von Rosen's version adapted by Vinogradova.

Which Western choreographers do you admire?

I like many different choreographers. From my own experience as a dancer, the most interesting was working with Mats Ek. I like Mark Morris, Angelin Preljocaj, William Forsythe.

How about bringing some of their works into the Bolshoi's repertory? What about John Neumeier?

Of course, but we have to be careful so that the Bolshoi will not become a company that has the same repertory as all the other companies. Neumeier is good for the Bolshoi, because his works are mostly story ballets. I admire some of his works. There were plans already, made before me, to stage his works. Negotiations are still continuing and haven't been finalised.

What's your opinion on Balanchine? Do you consider him as the greatest choreographer of the 20th century?

Regardless of what I think, of course he is the greatest choreographer. "Agon", "Mozartiana", and "Symphony in C" are already in the Bolshoi's repertory. In April, "Symphony in C" and "Agon" will be revived together with "Concerto Barocco" and some pas de deux.

Do you plan to revive some ballets from the Soviet era?

There are some Soviet ballets created for the Bolshoi that I like to revive, e.g. "The Red Poppy", "Laurencia", "The Flames of Paris", "Mirandolina" (Vainonen). These works have been neglected for a very long time. There are many choreographic treasures in these ballets. We need to find the right way to revive them - whether as a suite or as a full ballet, whether keeping some parts and rechoreographing other parts, or simply keeping the whole. And we need to find the right way to stimulate the interests of the audience and the dancers. Yes, it's worth doing, because there are many great dances.

As a choreographer, do you prefer dramatic or pure dance ballets?

It all depends on the music. First I'll find the music which inspires me, and the music will tell me whether I should do a narrative or pure dance ballet.

Who is your muse?

Maybe I have to name my wife, Tatiana Ratmanska, because my first works were created for her. I formed many movements on her, she is the originator. She will move to Moscow with me.

I look forward to seeing your new ballet "Anna Karenina" in Copenhagen.

I started with the principals last week. After my move to the Bolshoi in January, I'll come back in February to finish the ballet which will be premiered in April.

And one of the highlights of the Bolshoi's London tour will be Pierre Lacotte's "The Pharaoh's Daughter".

I think it's a great work with lots of dancing. I like it a lot, even though some people think it should have been a real reconstruction of Petipa, but I don't mind the freer approach by Lacotte. There aren't that many choreographers today who can create such a good classical ballet. And we are the only company in the world who has it in the repertory!