#marchuk

I wouldn't put too much stock in YouTube comments. Especially ones from the russianballetvideos account (I have a feeling that’s the one you are talking about). The person running it is toxic and the comments section on there is a cesspool. 

The Mariinsky corps is filled to the brim with talented dancers. Here’s the problem with Russian ballet (I can summarise it in three points): 

VBA turns out world-class dancers

The Mariinsky takes the cream de la cream of each graduating class

There are only a handful of soloist and principal spots

It’s easy to say that dancers don’t progress through the ranks due to internal politics - I daresay this is often the case - but it is also an incredibly childish position to take. I can name a whole bunch of corps dancers off the top of my head who could make great soloists and who would be lucky to progress to coryphee. Are all of them being held back by politics? Of course not. There simply isn’t enough room. Incidentally, this is why some graduates (and even seasoned dancers) opt to jump ship and go to the Bolshoi instead - the company is bigger and offers more opportunities.

Marchuk isn’t a special case. There are countless stories like her. I don't know why Oksana’s career panned out the way it did, but I can confidently say that the competition at the Mariinsky is fierce because there are too many amazing dancers under the same roof.