#skorik

As requested, I’m going to address Oksana Skorik’s post from a few days ago, which was largely addressed to Gergiev. It basically boils down to the following points:

Oksana requested that Gergiev provides some sort of clarity regarding the company’s future, especially in terms of leave;

She said that dancers with children would like to leave the city and she personally wants to go to Crimea, but the company is technically still active;

This means that dancers, especially the corps, are in a terrible position where they can’t rest but are also unable to train without access to space and equipment;

The dancers were apparently informed that a tour is coming up soon;

She noted that three dancers are currently allowed to train in the studios at a time, though, according to Skorik, the studios can easily accommodate 15 dancers without breaking social distancing rules;

She goes on to say that only the orchestra (which is Gergiev’s main priority according to Skorik) have work, while everyone else is up in the air.

Plenty of people praised Oksana for speaking up in the comments, though Svetlana Zakharova questioned why these questions were raised on social media rather than directly with the management:

“Oksana, was there no opportunity to question the management directly? It’s so strange to read this post! They’re saying that you guys have been let go on a break ages ago.”

To which Skorik responded:

“We haven’t [been let go on a break]... As it turns out I haven’t got enough annual leave. The 21 days I’ve accumulated over the season have apparently been “used” between the 24th of March and the 18th of April. No more break for me! There’s no one we can ask about this. The management knows as little as we do, and the Head [Gergiev] is unreachable. The theatre itself is totally empty."

What is your opinion on today’s ideal of the long thin dancers that Balanchine liked/preferred and Russia’s immense popularisation of it (later becoming the new standard of the desired ballet body)? And why do you think Skorik, compared to other Russian dancers, get so much more attention regarding her body and how unhealthy she looks from the Western media?

I’ve received some tough questions recently (six of the, to be exact). I find these particular questions challenging for a number of reasons: some subject matters are potentially controversial; my personal opinion on certain subjects is not especially nice and I’m cautious when it comes to sharing it; or I simply don’t have enough information to give a good answer. Either way, I will do my best to answer these questions honestly. 

I always get uncomfortable when the subject of the “ballet body” comes up. Over the past five years I’ve seen female dancers bullied online for the way they look. Either these women are too thin or too fat – there is no in-between – and people are always eager to let them know how they feel about their bodies. Often, these comments are presented in a form of “concern” for the dancers’ health, and I find this unbelievably patronising! People never stop to think about the effect their words can have on someone. I know that some dancers had to temporarily leave social media because these comments became too much to handle.

First thing’s first: we’re talking about female bodies, and we need to acknowledge that there is a lot of historical and societal context attached to this subject.

When it comes to aesthetics in ballet, I’ve learned that every country is different. Come to think of it, beauty standards – especially for women – also differ from culture to culture, and tend to change over generations. Back in the 19th and early 20th century, thinness was associated with illness (consumption), and you saw this beauty standard reflected in ballerinas of the time. Of course, since then ballet itself has changed drastically, and the evolving technique has affected the bodies as much as the evolving beauty standards have. I think what we’re seeing now is a resurgence of the old views, and thinness is once again equated with poor health. This is particularly prevalent in the West. The problem I have with this is that instead of questioning the system (and I’m not just talking about ballet here), people focus on specific women and their bodies, because, historically, society has always felt a lot of ownership over female bodies.

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Umberto Eco’s “On Beauty” illustrates the evolution of beauty standards over the centuries. Go here and skip to page 15.

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When it comes to modern-day ballet bodies, Zakharova is widely considered the golden standard: long, thin limbs; flat torso; small head; arches for days, etc. Her proportions really do make her look stunning on stage, and she follows a diet that keeps her healthy and strong, as well as thin! The problem with holding this one body type up as “the ideal” is that not that many dancers can live up to it. We all have different genetic make-up, and if we try to fit a template our bodies were never meant for, we can severely damage our physical and mental health. In the documentary “Beautiful Tragedy”, Oksana Skorik talks about being compared to (and comparing herself to) a classmate who was skinnier than her, and becoming anorexic as a result of trying to copy her. Trying to achieve uniformity without taking individuality into consideration can lead to disaster. This is something Joy Womack has talked about as well. During her time at BBA, she was pitted agains another student by her teacher to see who could lose more weight... By the way, I think that “Beautiful Tragedy” is partly the reason Skorik gets singled out in the West over other Russian dancers. She’d already gone on record talking about her body and her health.

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I realise that this answer is turning into a bloody essay, so let me try and summarise my feelings in dot points: 

Having a “standard” is fine, but dancers must be carefully guided to achieving and maintaining this standard, and their genetic makeup, body type and individuality must be taken into account.

Achieving complete uniformity is, ultimately, impossible. Instead, we should learn how each dancer can reach their fullest potential and get the most out of their body without compromising their health. Individual approach is key.

From the moment they start training, ballet students must be given tools to properly manage their health, weight and body image. 

Different cultures have different “standards”. Instead of criticising each other for the way we look, we must investigate why those standards are there in the first place and question if these standards are healthy.

For the people in the back: You do not have the right to anyone’s body. Whether you’re a member of the media or a “concerned” member of the public – keep your opinions to yourself.

Online hate and bullying is never justified.

Whether the negative attitude many people have towards Skorik is warranted is another question. A tough one, too. I don’t really follow Skorik and I’m not a ballet critic. I can’t make a professional judgement of her as a ballerina. Though I’ve come to her defence both on here and in various comment sections in the past (because the way people treat her really isn’t right), I don’t particularly like her or find her interesting as a ballerina. And I leave it at that. Honestly, if you don’t like a dancer, don’t follow them, don’t watch their videos, and don’t go to their performances. It’s that simple. 

I don’t know exactly what people’s problem with Skorik is, but I’m going to make an educated guess. General feedback seems to be that she’s an awful dancer (I’m not going to get into this), but I think what actually bothers people and what they respond to, consciously or unconsciously, is her attitude: overly melancholy, stand-offish, reactive, with a tendency to play the victim, while also coming off as superior. This assessment is completely subjective. It’s based on my observations, first-hand accounts and some (very) brief personal experience of interacting with her. I’m not saying that this in any way justifies the, frankly, abusive treatment she receives online, but personality matters. A lot. It shapes public perception.

I often see this with Tsiskaridze. It’s hard to argue with his talent as a danseur, and his achievements at VBA should be commended, but his attitude can be incredibly off-putting, and sometimes people just can’t get past that (and I don’t blame them). The good gets overshadowed by the bad.

[EDIT] Some food for thought: you have to remember that the way men and women are treated (on and off-line) is very different. Think about how Polunin is treated VS how Skorik is treated. Polunin is faaaar more problematic, but many people still line up to kiss his ass. 

Everything you hear, see or read online is biased. The bias can be both positive and negative, but very few people and/or sources are entirely objective. While a lot of the time you can tell which side of the fence the person is sitting on, I still find it good practice to acknowledge my own bias. Especially if I’m about to write something negative.

Unfortunately, the anon is right. There is a long history of Skorik being hated on online, both directly and indirectly. There are also stories about people going to her performances to heckle her. Perhaps this behaviour has stopped since she became a mother. I wouldn’t know, but I’d be glad if it has.

While I don’t know for sure why so many people react negatively to Skorik, what I wrote about her personality wasn’t a speculation. I wrote honestly about behaviour I have observed, heard about and witnessed personally.

To reiterate, none of this justifies the treatment Oksana has received. It’s simply not acceptable.

I mention a dancer that you dislike, but I'm not trying make to force you to like her and I hope you can see my point. Skorik isn't a terrible dancer. Recent youtube videos (uploaded in Russian) of her dancing Paquita, Raymonda, Grand Pas Classique, O/O, etc. show a musically articulate and technically secure ballerina who deserves applause -- unlike what her rabid haters say. The youtuber to started the hate campaign on her was doing it because he was angry his favorite wasn't promoted.

I don’t think Skorik is a terrible dancer. I get why others dislike her but have always said that the aggression towards her is unwarranted and unacceptable. I haven’t posted about Skorik often on here, but I think that what I have written in the past has always been in her defence. 

Do I think she’s improving as a ballerina? Yes, and more power to her. Would I pay money to watch her dance live? I don’t think so (I wouldn’t try to return my ticket like some people do though). Is this a reflection on her as a dancer? Not really, it’s just a matter of my personal taste and preference.

Do you think it sometimes happens where a student is one of the top dancers in the class, not really because they have the best technique or something, but because the teacher specifically thinks they have a lot of potential?

It’s possible for one particular student to succeed because the teacher believes that they have a lot of potential and focuses on them more than on other students, but then they’d still have to deliver to be at the top of the class. They’d have to have the technique, the artistry, the musicality, etc. to justify the teacher’s attention. If they don’t deliver the results, they’d quickly fall out of favour. 

Alena Kovaleva is debuting Nikiya in May 2!!

Yes. I’ve posted about it here.

What are some good schools in the US? Master ballet? If a dancer can not perform the steps should they be given that role? I love your blog by the way!!

Thank you! Sorry, I’m not at all familiar with US schools, so I can’t really answer that. No, in my opinion a dancer shouldn’t be given the role if they are unable to handle the necessary technical elements.

It’s been a month, and still no word on Oksana Skorik... I hope she is ok.

What do you think of Oksana Skorik?

To put it simply, I understand why so many people have a problem with Skorik, but I think that the amount and level of hatred often directed at her is ridiculous and completely unacceptable.

Interestingly enough, I read The New Yorker article about Diana Vishneva the other day, which points out the issue Westerners often have with Russian ballerinas. I think this quote nails Oksana’s main issue:

“No matter how large-scaled her acting, though, she always looked sincere. That’s her deviation from the practice of many Russian ballerinas today. How hard they can be! Over-rehearsed, over-styled, lacquered—bronzed. Some people like that in the Russians. It makes them feel they got their money’s worth. To me, it’s camp. Vishneva manages to be extreme and relaxed simultaneously. She has a good time.”

I doubt whether Oksana ever has good time on stage. Or away from it. On many levels I understand and sympathise with her angst (I wasn’t a particularly happy child myself, and “Beautiful Tragedy” resonated with me), but the one thing I’ve learned in the last few years of following ballet and interviewing some of the VBA students, is that attitude has a tremendous effect on the quality of a dancer’s performance and their overall success.

I understand Fateyev’s and/or Gergiev’s motivation behind promoting her to the status of prima (a move which upset many). The fact that Oksana hasn’t always delivered the goods doesn’t have anything to do with her talent - she’s a gifted ballerina - but rather with whatever loomy gloom she’s swimming in*.

I know that questions like these normally require some sort of analysis of the dancer’s technique, musicality, and so on, but I honestly don’t feel like pointing out Oksana’s faults. There are already plenty of other people who delight in doing that. Instead, I wanted to offer my opinion on the significance of a dancer’s emotional and mental health, and the effect these have on their performance**.

Oksana is having a shit year. Her beloved cat has died very suddenly and now she has (reportedly) suffered a bad injury. People need to send her some good vibes. For a change.

*Award yourself 50 points if you got the “Adventure Time” reference.

**After re-reading my response I realised that I appear to be speaking with a little too much authority on the state of Skorik’s mental and emotional health. Just to clarify: I do not know her personally but, like a great number of people, I have picked up on Oksana’s gloomy vibe. It isn’t my intention to patronise her. I’m writing from a place of solidarity and concern. 

Some comments I received through Ask regarding my last post about Oksana Skorik. Oksana appears to have deleted her instagram. This is very sad. I hope she’s ok :(

In regards to your statement about Oksana having a bad year, she completely wiped her Instagram clean of photos. She must be really upset.

Hi there! I saw the two posts mentioning Oksana Skorik and wanted to offer my two cents! I saw her when the Mariinsky came to Washington DC two years ago with Raymonda and I was astounded! She was AMAZING! I was honestly upset when the cast came out for my show, but she proved me wrong and then some. She seems to be a ballerina you have to see live to really feel, you know? She did seem really joyful and thrilled to be onstage that night.

After your Oksana post I went to look at her Instagram since I don't actually follow her and I noticed that she (or someone else?) has deleted all of her posts. I hope she is doing okay, both mentally and physically.