Bolshoi dancer wants reprimands from theatre annulled Immediately after the attack, the spotlight fell on Nikolai Tsiskaridze, the 39-year-old Georgian-born principal dancer and teacher who has been at the Bolshoi since 1992, and had clashed with the theatre's leadership. Tsiskaridze petitioned a Moscow court on Tuesday to annul two written warnings he had received from the management. Multiple reprimands can be grounds for dismissal under Russian labour law and Tsiskaridze, who was represented by a lawyer at an opening hearing on Tuesday, has said he believes the management is trying to drive him out. The judge at the hearing, Yevgeny Komissarov, said Tsiskaridze had been reprimanded twice in February, once for giving an interview without permission from the theatre's press service. Tsiskaridze's lawyer, Svetlana Volodina, said there were no grounds for the disciplinary action. "Freedom of speech is guaranteed in the constitution, as is his freedom to express himself," she said.