He is known as the Russian Rocket while his relationship with another dancer saw them dubbed the Brangelina of the ballet world - but now Ivan Vasiliev has revealed the love triangle which led to him dumping his long-term lover and becoming engaged to another ballerina.
The superstar Russian dancer - also known as ballet's 'Sex on Legs' - is to marry on Saturday, but not to the dancer fans had expected.
The reason behind the breakdown of Mr Vasiliev's relationship with Natalia Osipova, 29, was shrouded in mystery - but he has now revealed that while with Ms Osipova he fell in love with another Bolshoi ballerina, Maria Vinogradova.
Speaking to Mark Monahan from The Telegraph, the man critics have dubbed the new Nureyev and the next Baryshnikov succinctly summed up the situation in one word: 'Oops!'
In 2011, he and Ms Osipova, who were partners both on and off stage at the Bolshoi in Moscow, famously defected together to the smaller Saint-Petersburg-based company, the Mikhailovsky.
They prompty became engaged and in 2012 Mr Vasiliev joined his fiancée as a guest principal at the American Ballet Theatre based in New York.
So when it was revealed that Ms Osipova was to join the Royal Ballet in London ballet fans assumed her fiancé would soon join her in London - but were shocked when she arrived alone and announced they had broken up.
The reason behind the breakup remained a mystery until Mr Vasiliev, 26, revealed in an interview that he is to be married on Saturday.
When asked what happened to cause the break up he laughed and said: 'I met Maria!'
His wife-to-be is the up-and-coming Bolshoi first soloist Ms Vinogradova and the couple have now been together a year and a half.
Although moving in similar circles in the small world of ballet, the two did not properly meet until they performed in Spartacus together in 2013.
'I knew her,' he said, 'but the first time danced we together in Spartacus, we started to talk.'
Following the wedding they both have several performances before they head to Dubai for their honeymoon.
Happily, despite the abrupt ending of their romantic relationship Mr Vasiliev and Ms Osipova's working relationship remains on excellent terms and they continue to dance together.
Next month they will appear together at the London Coliseum to perform Arthur Pita's Facada.
Mr Vasiliev said: 'It is true we are friends, and forever we will be friends and partners. It's life!'
(Daily Mail)
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