I can't help but take the resignations of Anna Reznik and Alexei Kremnev from Cincinnati Ballet personally.

        I've become complacent these past four years, assuming a trip downtown to watch the ballet would be sweetly satisfying with the handsome Russian couple dominating the action. They take this most difficult of arts and make it exciting yet effortless. All I had to do was sit back, watch and enjoy.

        When Anna takes the stage all eyes are on her. She is perfection. She understands that steely strength is useful in ballet only if you let it free you to go beyond technique. I never saw her strain for that perfectly aligned arabesque or winged leap. Her princesses and heroines are fragile creatures built on hidden strength.

        Alexei never fails to triumph, throwing his Russian passion behind every role, whether refining it as the suffering Albrecht in Giselle or exploiting it in the corps de ballet as an evil pirate in Peter Pan. His expansive style sweeps the stage leaving others appearing to dance in place. Anna's dancing can be more flawless than his, but together they are that rare combination of married ballet couple able to dance on the same level.

        How their sudden departure on Oct. 3 will affect the company can't be known. A big chunk of the season had been built around them, including the Oct. 26 opening of Don Quixote, the much-anticipated new Nutcracker and May's A Thousand and One Nights. It's no secret that many people were coming to performances to see them dance. The box office was hounded for their scheduled appearances.

        Cincinnati Ballet has had fine dancers through the years, but in my 27 years of watching, these two dancers kindled the most heat. Of course they were provided wonderful choreography, costumes and set designs in which to excel.

        Could this have been averted?

        Maybe, if problems had been addressed early on. There's a reason the term “temperamental artist” exists; that's why guidelines have to be established early and consistently, yet room is still allowed for artistic freedom and creativity. It's a touchy one, but it's the job of the artistic director. Somehow this one got away from everyone.

        That's not to say something beautiful won't come out of this. The company may even grow stronger absent the tension that's been flaming the last few months. There are a million stories of stars waiting in the wings for the right moment to emerge.

        For now, I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat.

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