CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: She's fast gaining a reputation for putting the oomph back in ballet. And we're not talking about a widespread surge of interest in ballet here, but rather the effort exerted by this ballerina's dancing partners. CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty explains.</s>JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's a ballerina who's gotten too big for her tutu. At least that's the reason Russia's famous Bolshoi Theatre says it's firing Anastasia Volochkova. The dancer says it's a big fat lie. ANASTASIA VOLOCHKOVA (</s>DOUGHERTY: The 5'6," 109 pound dancer, one of Russia's best known celebrities, admits she loves ice cream, but says she's given it up for spinach. The Bolshoi claims her paus de deux are dangerous.</s>KATYA NOVIKOVA, BOLSHOI THEATRE: The problem is that other soloists of the Bolshoi, they don't want to dance with her, saying that she's too heavy for them and they are fearing to damage their own backs.</s>DOUGHERTY: Volochkova calls the Bolshoi's decision "a plot and a provocation" by the theatre's financial backers. But critics of the 27-year-old claim she got her job at the Bolshoi because of her own well-heeled backers. "I guarantee you, if someone invested enough money and promotional ads, she says, people like you and me could become great ballerinas in six months." Volochkova is no shrinking violet. She's made a career as a dancer outside the Bolshoi and is known for her diva like behavior. Now, she says, she just might want to move onto the political stage, where being a heavyweight is something to be proud of. Jill Dougherty, CNN, Moscow.</s>COSTELLO: Political stage! Now that surprised me. We'll keep you posted.
Putting the Oomph Back in Ballet