This is the moment Juliet says ‘Yes’ to Romeo to accept his marriage proposal on-stage in Russia’s biggest theatre.
Prima ballerina Ksenia Zakharova, 23, was basking in applause after her debut as Juliet, when she turned to find Romeo on his knee offering her an engagement ring.
The surprise romantic encore delighted the audience at the vast Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, also known as the Siberian Coliseum, built during the Stalin era with a 1,800 capacity.
Prima ballerina Ksenia Zakharova, 23, was basking in applause after her debut as Juliet, when she turned to find Romeo, played by Nikolay Maltsev, on his knee offering her an engagement ring
Premier dancer Nikolay Maltsev, 21, took not only Ksenia by surprise with his proposal, but the entire audience and the dance troupe.
During the curtain call he had been discreetly handed the engagement ring and dramatically fell to his knee.
Ksenia appeared to be momentarily stunned and raised her hands to cover her face but quickly nodded yes and the couple embraced to even more applause.
Theatre director Artyom Pukhalsky said that Nikolai (left) had been waiting until the he and Ksenia (right) played Romeo and Juliet together
Ksenia appeared momentarily stunned and raised her hands to cover her face but quickly nodded yes and the couple embraced to even more applause
Other dancers congratulated the couple behind the curtain right after the proposal, hugging each of them
Theatre marketing director Artyom Pukhalsky said: ‘It came as a big surprise for all of us.’
He said Nikolai had been waiting until the pair played Romeo and Juliet together.
‘He was obviously preparing to do it for a while,’ he said.
‘They do not dance together very often.
‘We have many performances and they have different parts’
Other dancers congratulated the couple behind the curtain right after the proposal, hugging each of them.
Their next performance will be in the leading roles in The Nutcracker on February 10.