Acclaimed Russian ballet dancer Vladimir Shklyarov has died after falling from the fifth story of a building. He was 39.
Shklyarov’s tragic death was announced by his dance company, Mariinsky Theater, on Saturday (November 16). “This is a huge loss not only for the theater’s staff, but for all of today’s ballet art,” the theater company said in a statement. “Our condolences to the artist’s family, loved ones, friends and all the numerous admirers of his work and talent.
“His boundless creative abilities were recognized with numerous awards,” it continued. “He forever inscribed his name in the history of world ballet art.”
While no cause of death was given in the original statement, Anna Kasatkina, a representative for the dance company, later told local news outlet Fontanka that Shklyarov had fallen from the fifth floor of a building while on painkillers in preparation for a complex spinal surgery scheduled for Monday (November 18).
An investigation into the circumstances of his death has been launched, though “the preliminary cause” has been listed as an accident, reports Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
Born in Saint Petersburg in 1985, Shklyarov joined the Mariinsky Theater ballet troupe in 2003 after graduating from the Academy of Russian Ballet. He was promoted to principal dancer in 2011.
During his time with the company, he performed in several leading roles in the theater’s most famous productions, including La Sylphide, Giselle, Corsaire, La Bayadère, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Raymonda, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet.
American Ballet Theater, where Shklyarov had performed as a guest dancer in 2014 and 2015, also honored the ballet star on Instagram, writing that he left “an indelible mark on our stage and in our hearts.
“Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and all who were touched by his brilliance,” it said. “Rest in peace, Vladimir. Your light will continue to shine through the beauty you brought to this world.”
He also danced for New York City’s Metropolitan Opera, London’s Royal Opera House and Washington DC’s The Kennedy Center.
Shklyarov was married to ballerina Maria Shylyarov, with whom he shared two young children.
