271 replies to this topic

[Renata Rodrigues]

Oksana Skorik in the Kingdom of Shadows:

[Buddy]

Thank you for the Oxana Skorik video. From what I've seen going into 4 1/2 minutes (I'll come back to it later, as I'm somewhat busy) I think that she looks absolutely lovely and always has. I had the great pleasure of seeing her perform "Swan Lake" in October, 2012 (Costa Mesa) several times.

In Essence I think that she is Extremely Beautiful and in expression she can be mind-bogglingly exciting.

[YID]

I have seen Skorik Swan Lake in Orange county myself, and it was HORRIBLE (well, not as horrible as Ms. Kampa's Kitri)....
to cure it all, (I pray god that she's well and happy), i might have my magic potion of Lopatkina in Swan Lake in February

[Buddy]

I guess that folks can really see things differently sometimes, YID. I'm not sure what night you were there, but I think that you would agree that the audience response at the final curtain, especially at the last two of her performances with instant standing ovations, was quite impressive.

I would add that at last year's Mariinsky Festival she performed the famous lakeside duet from "Swan Lake" at the final night Gala and for me it was possibly the best performance of the entire Festival.



[Added comment. The official schedule for this year's Mariinsky Festival has just been posted. Some performances and some artists' names are still to be announced].

http://www.mariinsky...allet_fest_230/

[Tara]

[Added comment. The official schedule for this year's Mariinsky Festival has just been posted. Some performances and some artists' names are still to be announced].

http://www.mariinsky...allet_fest_230/

Interesting to note that the DonQ scheduled on 3/2 is not yet cast. Hmm. I wonder if they are waiting to see how Kampa does with her Feb. repeat performance.

[YID]

I guess that folks can really see things differently sometimes, YID. I'm not sure what night you were there, but I think that you would agree that the audience response at the final curtain, especially at the last two of her performances with instant standing ovations, was quite impressive.

I was there the Friday-Sunday - 4 performances, and I indeed participated in a standing ovation. But my standing ovation was to the Mariinsky CORPS - They stole the show. The last Sunday performance i watched from the far 3rd tier, to see the Corps, and not be distracted by the "soloists". So, i'd agree that there was Standing ovation (in my case it was to the troupe, and not the soloists). Out of casts i've seen - Kondaurova was the best swan. But to each his/her own

[Cygnet]

YID wrote,

Out of the casts i've seen - Kondaurova was the best swan.

ITA with you: Kondaurova was the platinum, 5 star O/O of the Fall U.S. Tour and the corps was flawless.
The corps de ballet remains the saving grace of the company.
Re: Kampa

...I have to wonder why the AD thinks she is ready for these roles?
Obviously she wasn't cast in principal roles when she was at Boston Ballet. Mikko Nissinen clearly thought she needed more time in the corps and wasn't ready for major roles. This just strikes me as a stunt casting to garner more press.

Who knows what's going on in Fateev's mind?

How old is Daria Pavlenko?

She's 34.

Could she make a move elsewhere?
Maybe to the Mikhailovsky? Or abroad to La Scala or a similar company?

IMO, I think that if she had left in the early 2000s for another company, that would have been a good time for her to do so, or a year or two after she promoted to Principal Dancer.

[Helene]

Opinions are allowed and encouraged to differ here. That's the difference between a blog or a fan site and a discussion board.

Please discuss the topic, not other members' opinions.

[Renata Rodrigues]

Oksana Skorik in Grand pas Classique:

[cubanmiamiboy]

Oksana Skorik in the Kingdom of Shadows:

Skorik's weaknesses and off pointe moments have become such norm. Will she embody the "New Mariinsky Ballerina" concept...?

[tutu]

Oksana Skorik in the Kingdom of Shadows:

Skorik's weaknesses and off pointe moments have become such norm. Will she embody the "New Mariinsky Ballerina" concept...?

IMHO, I'd have to disagree—it seems like there's a real improvement. There are moments of weakness in the Bayadere, but they're outnumbered, to my mind, by moments of exceptional beauty. Her lines are incredible.

That GPC variation (famous, of course, for being fiendishly difficult) is also encouraging. See: going for the fourth pirouette at 0:45, see a regal port de bras, see those legs, feet, and turnout, and most importantly, see a much more confident dancer who no longer seems to be on the edge of tears. I never thought I'd be drinking the Skorik Kool-Aid, but I'm looking forward to what comes next.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Hum...Skorik and her "lines" thing...

[writer]

Overall I enjoyed the Paquita pas de deux. There were some mistakes, but it with partnering it is difficult to assign blame. The flubed turn in the beginning actually looks more like his issue than hers. Partners can be joint and severally liable for mistakes in these sitations.

The variation was nice too. And as far as msitakes being the norm, I've seen mistakes made by many Mariinsky ballerinas on youtube. I think one difference is that with modern techonology, we can watch and rewatch and overanalyze each mistake. Before when everything was live, mistakes were forgotten.

Now that practically every performance is on youtube, every single mistake ever made seems blown out of
proportion.

ETA:
I found the full video of the pdd here. She handled the turns in the coda nicely.

[cubanmiamiboy]

... moments of exceptional beauty. Her lines are incredible.
..., see a regal port de bras, see those legs, feet, and turnout...

I know this is me, but THAT is exactly the point. I can't bear ballerinas that are making spectators see ballet as an endless sequence of posing and placement, hence distracting them from the very esence of the art form: MOVEMENT-(including turns and jumps). I learned the beauty of the art from ballerinas with less than perfect lines-(usually rather stocky and muscled)- who were able to take absolute control over movement. Movement should be completely molded and conquered by the ballerina, ultimately winning the latter one, not the other way around. Skorik looks like a slave of it...always going thru it with great pain, seemingly wanting to cease it to luxuriate in her habitat...the motionless moments of beautiful posing. I'm not bying it. I feel cheated by her twisting of the concept.

Give me the Lepeshinskayas, Charins and Valdeses of ballet...give me the short, strong amazons who CAN do everything with no fear and greatness. I'll pass the rest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wr-kFQ04nE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=611ewQH_2HA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub3yUMwbKo8

[Buddy]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this one. Something that I'm enjoying very much is observing the somewhat parallel development of Oxana Skorik and Olga Smirnova (several years younger, I believe). Since Olga Smirnova , a Vaganova graduate, is now at the Bolshoi, it is less easy to discuss them together in a topic format, but I think that the comparisons are fascinating and will be fascinating to make as both these outstanding (in my opinion anyway) young artists progress to become stars at their respective companies.

[Added comment -- You might enjoy watching the internet video clips of Olga Smirnova's beautiful handling of the "Grand Pas Classique". Here's one.]