Maria Skorsiuk


Maria Sergeyevna Skorsiuk was a Russian ballet dancer who performed with the Imperial Russian Ballet from 1890 to 1900. She held the rank of coryphée and specialized in character roles. Skorsiuk is believed to be the first dancer of African heritage to be part of the Imperial Ballet.

Early life

Skorsiuk was born in 1872 in Saint Petersburg. Her father came from Luga and belonged to the lower urban class. According to ballet historian Peter Koppers, she may have descended from African court servants who served in the Russian court from the 17th century.

Training

Skorsiuk joined the Imperial Theatre School as a state scholar. Her teacher Ekaterina Vazem described her physical appearance in her memoirs as having "distinctive features of a purely African type". After the Spring examinations held in 1888, theatre officials attempted to expel Skorsiuk on the grounds of lack of progress or ability. Vazem felt this position to be spurious, strongly opposed the decision and secured a second examination for her student. Skorsiuk passed this examination with flying colours according to Vazem, and continued her studies.

Career

Early performances (1890–1895)

Skorsiuk graduated in 1890 and joined the Imperial Ballet. She appeared as one of the Four Young Maidens in the world premiere of Marius Petipa's The [Sleeping Beauty (ballet)|The Sleeping Beauty]. In her first season, she performed in 40 ballet performances and 18 opera performances. Critic Alexander Plescheyev reviewed her graduation performance, writing that she "danced with fire, vivacity and energy."
She performed the Spanish Dance in the 1895 revival of Swan Lake choreographed by Petipa and Lev Ivanov.

Later roles (1896–1899)

In 1896, Skorsiuk performed the role of Morena in Petipa's revival of Mlada. Plescheyev noted her "expressive face and passionate interpretation" in this role. In 1897, she danced O-Gen-Mi in Ivanov's The Mikado's Daughter, performing with Enrico Cecchetti.
For the 1898 premiere of Raymonda, Petipa created the Saracen Dance for Skorsiuk and Alexander Gorsky. The duet ended with the female dancer leaning back in what was described as a "whipcrack position".
Her last recorded new role was in the Forban Dance in Le Corsaire.

Performances

Skorsiuk's documented performances include:

The Sleeping Beauty – Young Maiden

Nenuphar – Heinrich

The Vestal – Jalousie

Kalkabrino – Member of smuggler's band

Le Roi Candaule – Peltata and Bacchante

Mlada – Indian Gypsy, Cleopatra

Cinderella – Fire

Coppélia – War and Discord

Swan Lake – Spanish Dance

The Little Humpbacked Horse – First Wife of the Khan

Mlada – Morena

The Mikado's Daughter – O-Gen-Mi, Javanese Dance, Winter

Raymonda – Saracen Dance, Palotas

Le Corsaire – Forban Dance

Assessments by contemporaries

Alexander Shiryaev, who partnered with Skorsiuk, wrote in his memoirs: "Maria Skorsiuk possessed a weak dance technique, but her mulatto-like appearance made her irreplaceable in various exotic dances, to which she brought a genuine temperament."
Dance historian Mikhail Borisoglebsky stated that according to contemporary descriptions Skorsiuk could "compete successfully with Marie Petipa" in character roles.

Death

Skorsiuk suffered from consumption, now known as tuberculosis. She made one appearance in the 1899-1900 season before being placed on sick leave. The Imperial Theatre paid for her medical treatment on two occasions. She died on 15 January 1901 at age 28 or 29.
In October 1900 the Theatr i Isskustvo magazine's reviewer suggested that her replacements in The Nutcracker and The Little Humpbacked Horse were inferior to Skorsiuk's performances.