The invitation was significant according to his girlfriend at the time, the choreographer Anita Pace, Kelley told his relatives little about his burgeoning art career because he didn't believe they would appreciate his artwork.

WSJ: Mike Kelley: The Escape Artist

In Soviet days, incidents like these were never reported, even though everyone in the theatre world knew about the acrimony between cliques around well-known figures such as veteran Soviet choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, or star dancers Vladimir Vasiliev and Maris Liepa.

BBC: Ballet wars at the Bolshoi