“Once the world’s pre-eminent classical dance company, the Bolshoi was in steep artistic decline when, in January 2004, Alexei Ratmansky was chosen, at age 35, to bring the troupe back from the brink of irrelevance and remake it into a cultural force befitting its heritage. It’s a strategy that’s risky yet necessary if the company is to reclaim its place not just as a custodian of the classics but also as an innovative producer of superlative new ballet.”