Creating a new ballet icon

Irina Kolesnikova

A Russian prima ballerina had a vision to raise awareness for the plight of the refugees, using a brand new ballet opening in London to express their suffering. The challenge was to speak out and tell the story through multiple touchpoints reaching the millions of tribal ballet fans around the world.

Story

Strategic positioning and a partnership with Oxfam organised through Borkowski connections, led to creative development for a trip to the refugee camps in Serbia and media hubs set up at the camps and in St Petersburg. Multiple reporting of the story came from the New York Times, Newsweek to the Sydney Morning Herald, the first ever Instagram photo call was held at the dress rehersal in London’s Coliseum and a sell out global tour followed. Irina Kolesnikova was featured on Woman’s Hour and a special report on Channel 4 News. The Daily Telegraph described her as “the world’s greatest ballerina”. Thousands of pounds were donated to Oxfam.
 

Impact Highlights

“It was the one time in my life I did not want to dance”

Ballerina asks fans to Instagram her Carmen performance instead of professional photographers

Interview: prima ballerina Irina Kolesnikova

Ballet companies must stop wrecking our bodies, warns Russian star

High
profile
Oxfam
partnership
Global
coverage
of Irina's Oxfam visit
to the refugee camp
from New York Times
to Sydney Morning
Herald
Sell out
tour in 5
territories
5minute
interview
on Channel 4
News and
Radio 4's
Woman's
Hour
World's first
Instagram
photo call

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