It is likely that Briantsev fell victim to crime, but investigators are considering the possibility that he is hiding for "commercial reasons or personal reasons," said Sergei Shelegeda, a Russian interior ministry consultant.

According to the Times, details of the case cannot be revealed, at the request of Czech investigators. But Vladimir Urin, Stankslavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko's general director, said he thought that the investigators were looking into real-estate dealings that Briantsev, who was a partner in two Prague businesses, might have been attending to when he disappeared.

Briantsev led the dance company for 20 years, and his own works account for a third of the company's repertory. His best-known and most acclaimed works include Salome, Shulamite, and Spirit Ball.

The company's performance space is currently undergoing a $170 million renovation, led by Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov.