Oxana Skorik Promoted to Principal Dancer

[Josette]

Fateyev came on stage with a microphone during the bows and announced Oksana Skorik's promotion to "prima ballerina."

[MadameP]

Awful news - among the first soloists, Novikova, Osmolkina and Kolegova were all by far more deserving of promotion in my opinion.

[kbarber]

Following her Raymonda performance in Costa Mesa:

[Natalia]

Fantastic! I hope we'll see her in DC! Ditto Shapran, please.

[Cygnet]

Congratulations Oxana!

[nickwellings]

Congratulations to her. I imagine she must be delighted!I agree that Novikova may be technically more proficient, but the few times I have seen her, she has a bit of a severe look on her face: as if not entirely comfortable/happy.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Not "Prima" material at all, on my eyes.

[pherank]

How unusual is it for the Mariinsky to promote a dancer to principal - in a foreign country?

[Birdsall]

How unusual is it for the Mariinsky to promote a dancer to principal - in a foreign country?

In my opinion, everything about the way in which she has risen and been promoted has been unusual. The Mariinsky until now did not announce promotions on stage. I know other companies do that, but I think it is highly unusual for the Mariinsky to announce it, and it is unusual it was announced in the U.S. on top of the announcement period...and her career has been a very unusual one overall. Very few dancers have been given so many chances or roles in such a short span of time. I think this month alone she has 6 major roles at the Mariinsky. With that said I do think she has improved very much technically, but I saw her in Sylvia this summer and was not impressed with her acting.

[pherank]

That's pretty much what I thought. It's almost as if Skorik was being promoted as a dancer to please the foreign audience. But she's certainly 'controversial' outside of Russia, so that doesn't really make much sense.

I think Kondaurova was one of the first dancers recognized (within the Mariinsky) as someone who looked believeable in modern and neo-classical ballets, and the foreign audiences were enthusiastic about her, but that didn't make it much easier for her on the long road to Principal Artist.

I'm just noticing that the Mariinsky website only lists 8 female principals - that's not many for such a large company.

[Drew]

I'm just noticing that the Mariinsky website only lists 8 female principals - that's not many for such a large company.

I've wondered about this, especially as I'm under the impression Vishneva (who is listed) doesn't dance that much with the Mariinsky. But based on casting, I have the impression that the Mariinsky "first soloists" are all sort of "quasi-principals" -- that is they regularly dance principal roles-- though perhaps also occasionally the kind of soloist roles that in many classical companies are sometimes taken by principals or soon-to-be principals. Being promoted to officially designated "principal" seems to mean precisely "prima ballerina" or top of the top. Almost like an honor. But, say, Shirinkina, Kolegova, Novikova, Osmolkina, and even Shapran all dance ballerina/principal roles on a somewhat regular basis as best I can tell. (Pavlenko, on the other hand, seems to have been de facto demoted--casting-wise--in recent years even if she is still listed as a principal. )

Closer Mariinsky watchers than myself may have other perspectives.

[Mashinka]

Promoted on stage and no one booed?

[Birdsall]

I've wondered about this, especially as I'm under the impression Vishneva (who is listed) doesn't dance that much with the Mariinsky. But based on casting, I have the impression that the Mariinsky "first soloists" are all sort of "quasi-principals" -- that is they regularly dance principal roles-- though perhaps also occasionally the kind of soloist roles that in many classical companies are sometimes taken by principals or soon-to-be principals. Being promoted to officially designated "principal" seems to mean precisely "prima ballerina" or top of the top. Almost like an honor. But, say, Shirinkina, Kolegova, Novikova, Osmolkina, and even Shapran all dance ballerina/principal roles on a somewhat regular basis as best I can tell. (Pavlenko, on the other hand, seems to have been de facto demoted--casting-wise--in recent years even if she is still listed as a principal. )

Closer Mariinsky watchers than myself may have other perspectives.

Yes, I think you are right. Vishneva seems to have really only done Cinderella and Juliet (and taken part in galas including her own) in the past few years at the Mariinsky. She seems to have made things like Swan Lake off limits to herself in Russia. She still dances from time to time, but she seems much more like a guest artist to me (as opposed to a regular principal).

You are right about First Soloists dancing principal roles. Even a coryphee can dance principal roles. Chebykina, who is a coryphee, dances Odette/Odile. Yulia Stepanova (who is now a soloist at the Bolshoi) was a coryphee and danced Odette/Odile, Sylvia, Myrtha, Queen of the Dryads, Lilac Fairy, Firebird, and was rumored to be slated for Medora before she quit the Mariinsky as a coryphee.

Even corps girls occasionally get a principal role like Masha or Sylphide.

But First Soloists are almost like principals without the title (i think that is what you were saying). And probably without the pay!

And a Russian friend actually explained to me that the Russians actually use "prima ballerina" in Russian as the top tier (on the Russian sites of both Bolshoi and Mariinsky the principals are called "Ballerinas"). So you might be right. I think in Russia First Soloist is nothing to sneeze at......saying you are a First Soloist at the Mariinsky or the Bolshoi is probably a higher concept than when you say you are a First Soloist in America if for no other reason than the fact that the Bolshoi and Mariinsky are such huge companies that making it to First Soloist is already a feat unto itself.

Pavlenko does seem to only get Zarema, Street Dancer, and maybe Zobeide. You are right about her also.

[Dreamer]

Promoted on stage and no one booed?

Why would anyone boo? Oksana gave a beautiful performance that evening, her technique was flawless and every step breathtakingly beautiful. The audience was delighted about her promotion.

[canbelto]

I think principal status matters in terms of pension. Former dancers are supposed to get a pension if they have a certain number of years.

[zobeide]

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