Snow Queen or drag queen?
 

(submitted by gekkogecko)

DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Tajikistan's state ballet has had
to ask one its male dancers to take the lead role in a
production of Snow Queen because there are no women
who can dance the part.

Alexander Bakhman doesn't have to wear a tutu in his
guise as Snow Queen, but he has had to learn the
difficult tip-toe "en pointe" steps of a ballerina for
the latest production.

"The role of the snow queen is very difficult and not
one of our ballerinas could manage it," one theatre
employee said.

Dushanbe, the capital of ex-Soviet state Tajikistan,
is still scarred from a civil war in 1992-7.