Prima ballerina Kseniya Zakharova was accepting the audience’s plaudits for her debut as Juliet when she turned to find Romeo on his knee offering her an engagement ring.
Premier dancer Nikolay Maltsev, 21, took not only Kseniya by surprise with his proposal, but the entire audience in the almost 1,800 capacity theatre - and the dance troupe. Picture: Novosibirsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet
The surprise romantic encore during the certain call delighted the audience at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Premier dancer Nikolay Maltsev, 21, took not only Kseniya by surprise with his proposal, but the entire audience in the almost 1,800 capacity theatre - and the dance troupe.
As the pair were applauded by the audience after the performance, Nikolay discreetly reached behind the curtain to be handed the ring.
He then fell to one knee in the ultimate surprise proposal at a theatre nicknamed the Siberian Coliseum.
Stunned Kseniya, 23, raised her hands to cover her face but quickly nodded yes and the couple embraced to even more applause.
The couple's next performance will be in the leading roles in The Nutcracker. Pictures: Novosibirsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet
Theatre marketing director Artyom Pukhalsky said: 'It came as a big surprise for all of us. Of course, we are trying to dig out some details now.
'Obviously, he was preparing to do it for a while – he was waiting for the Romeo and Juliet ballet when they would be dancing together.
'They do not dance together very often.
'We have many performances and they have different parts.'
Other dancers congratulated the couple behind the curtain right after the proposal, hugging each of them.
Their next performance will be in the leading roles in The Nutcracker on 10 February.
Pictures of Ksenia and Nikolay by Novosibirsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet
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