Xander Parish has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire

On 16 May, Principal Dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet Xander Parish was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to dance and the development of cultural relations between Great Britain and Russia. Xander Parish received the award at Buckingham Palace from HRH Charles, the Prince of Wales.

Trained in the British school, Xander Parish joined the Mariinsky Ballet in January 2010. Today his repertoire includes many leading roles from the classical legacy in addition to contemporary works. Xander Parish's artistic achievements have won him several international awards, among them the British Critics' Circle National Dance Award.