Vladimir Shklyarov, one of the ballet community’s leading dancers, died after a fatal fall from a fifth-storey balcony in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Mariinsky Theatre, where the 39-year-old was the top-ranking dancer, confirmed the Nov. 16 death.
“Tonight, the favorite of the public, the star premier of the Mariinsky Theatre, Honored Artist of Russia Vladimir Shklyarov, tragically died. This is a huge loss not only for the theatre’s staff but for all of contemporary ballet,” the company wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Saturday.
“Our condolences to the artist’s family, loved ones, friends and all the numerous admirers of his work and talent.”
According to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, the death is being investigated by federal authorities but “the preliminary cause” has been ruled an accident.
The ballet dancer’s representatives told the media that he fell from the fifth storey of a building while on painkillers, according to the BBC. Theatre spokesperson Anna Kasatkina said the dancer had been taking the medication for an injury and was scheduled to undergo spinal surgery this week.
Shklyarov became a principal dancer for Mariinsky Theater in 2011, performing in productions such as Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.
The American Ballet Theatre, where Shklyarov performed as a guest artist in 2014 and 2015, also paid tribute to the late performer.
“Today, we mourn the tragic loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, an extraordinary artist whose grace and passion inspired audiences worldwide,” the company’s Instagram account wrote on Nov. 17.
Diana Vishneva, a fellow principal dancer at the Mariinsky, called Shklyarov’s death a “tragedy” for the ballet world.
“You were so loved by your audience. You were the favorite partner of many ballerinas,” she wrote in a tribute on Instagram.
Irina Bartnovskaya, who runs a Telegram channel focused on ballet called “The Devil in Ballet Shoes,” was one of the first to publicize the death — part of which was captured on CCTV — on Saturday morning.
“Volodya (Vladimir) was resting up at home, on painkillers and preparing for an… operation,” she said.
“He went out onto the balcony to get some air and smoke, lost his balance (it’s a very narrow balcony) and fell (from the fifth floor). It was a stupid unbearable accident.
“He loved life, his family, and adored his children and his audience,” she wrote, according to Reuters.
Shklyarov was married to Maria Shirinkina, a fellow dancer at the Mariinsky. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter.