Most artistic directorsfirst day leading a new ballet company is all about meeting the dancers. But for Nacho Duato it's a challenge just to find the rehearsal room. The mazelike corridors of the magnificent Mikhailovsky Theatre in St Petersburg prove confusing and inspire a few unchoregraphed twists and turns from Duato before he finally identifies the right room and his new company -- the 140 dancers of the Mikhailovsky Ballet. It's unlikely the theater's floor plan will be the last challenge for the Spanish choreographer who, this month, took over leadership of the company. He's the first foreigner to lead a Russian ballet company in over a century and has been charged with bringing modern choreography to the Mikhailovsky's classical repertoire. Having a look at the past but always stepping forward and stepping into the future... this is what I think they want and that is why I think they called me, said Duato. I think they have it pretty clear that they want to change; that they want something new. A modern ballet dancer and choreographer with an international pedigree, it is hoped he can revitalize the ballet for Russian audiences. While performances at the Mikhailovsky are well attended, there's a growing concern that Russians may become tired of seeing the standard repertoire of classical ballets. Russians love ballet. That goes without saying, but the attitude that