“Friends and fans watched with trepidation as the wilder elements of the Polunin story emerged: a self-professed desire to quit ballet at the age of 26; … self-comparisons with Alexander the Great; lurid accusations that there was a ‘British mafia’ at Covent Garden … So what do we have in Mr Polunin: deep-thinking artistic genius or spoilt brat? The answer is: probably neither.”