Two stars of Russia's legendary Bolshoi ballet are leaving, a blow to a dance company that has been riddled with recent setbacks.

The stars, who are defecting to the lesser known Mikhailovsky theatre, say they feel restricted creatively.

Their departure is the latest drama in a company getting used to controversy.

The Bolshoi theatre reopened last month after six years of renovations that cost 16 times the proposed budget. Former dancers have also alleged corruption, and the company's artistic director was embroiled in a sex scandal.

Al Jazeera's Tania Page reports.