A Bolshoi star dancer and two other men were today convicted of an acid attack on the ballet’s director that exposed vicious backstage bickering and intrigue at the renowned theatre.

The Bolshoi ballet dancer accused of ordering an acid attack on the company’s artistic director has pleaded not guilty in a court appearance.

A star Russian ballet dancer at the famed Bolshoi Theatre has confessed to an acid attack on the outfit’s ballet chief, police said today.

The artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet is to fly to Germany for further treatment following an acid attack which caused severe burns to his face and eyes.