Vladimir Shklyarov is a well-known senior principal dancer at Mariinsky Theatre, and the ballet world is shaken by the news surrounding him.

Following his immediate passing, friends, family, colleagues, and fans alike are reeling from the news of the singer — once dubbed one of this generation's greatest dancers — loss.

Shklyarov, 40, was due to appear this season in Moscow with the Mariinsky Theatre this year, but he did not turn up, prompting concerns from his fans.

MKRU reported, however, that friends close to the celebrated dancer have told it he had been going through a very difficult period in the past weeks.

Reports suggest that Shklyarov's life worsened following his split from his wife, a fellow Mariinsky dancer. He took up a new relationship with a fellow ballerina but expressed distress, friends noticed.

One colleague recalled, "He often admitted that he was stuck and didn't know what to do next." He was at the end of his road and bewildered.

Substance abuse could have contributed to Shklyarov's problems, reports said. A few acquaintances said drugs were, at least for now, a troubling part of his life.

Adding to this turmoil is what many view as a midlife crisis — typical of so many performers facing the difficult truth of aging in a youth-obsessed profession.

Vladimir Shklyarov Career

Shklyarov showed amazing charisma and talent in his previous performances, colleagues said. Some remember Shklyarov as a young man in Rolland Petit's ballet "The Young Man and Death". "It was as if this role was prophetic for him - he was incredibly handsome on stage," the source told MK.

"According to the plot, a girl appeared to him in the form of death, and he committed suicide." And in connection with what happened at the Mariinsky, they draw a parallel with another legendary ballet dancer - Yuri Solovyov, who was called "space Yura."

Nureyev's rival, about whom the great Rudi himself, by the way, spoke well. So, in 1977, space Yura voluntarily took his own life - he shot himself.

Shklyarov's decline had already been evident at an October concert with Andris Liepa, which he performed last. His sense of skill and artistry was apparent, but observers suggested that he simply did not shine.

Like fellow dancer Maris Liepa once said, "The jump goes away, and the skill comes," conveying the nuances of aging in dance.

In the wake of the ballet world mourning, as Vancouver's Royal Ballet Society geared up for an annual forum, issues related to mental health and the unique pressures experienced by performers have once again entered the conversation.

Though Shklyarov will be remembered as an incredible artist forever, the context of his last times on stage reminds us that even the most recognizable faces around us are not free from struggles.

The Mariinsky Theatre has not yet made an official statement on the matter as fans and colleagues continue to mourn, hoping that there will soon be a better understanding and way to help artists struggling with similar demons.