observations 8-3

In what seems to be the final media piece on the Большой балет competition in Moscow where Skylar Brandt was the non-competing partner of Julian MacKay, we noted the following:

Beginning around 2:13 we see the stage of the awards ceremony where it appears that all of the participants except for the winners are standing in a semi-circle holding flowers and gift bags. Skylar, in a dark gown, is in the center of the frame standing next to the red carpet. Julian doesn't seem to be on the stage; so we can deduce that he won a prize. It's hard to tell who is who and thus it's difficult to speculate who won the best ballerina prize and who won the best couple prize. Any forensic balletoscientist worth his salt could easily compare the frames beginning at 2:13 to the contestants' photos at this link and come up with some evidence-based conclusions about the winners. We'll leave that to the Russians as we would never want to interfere with the interpretation of the results of their national  election  contest.

Once again, the Russian media has honed in on Skylar. Take a look at the close-up shots of her that begin around 2:23. When this program airs in January, it will provide a tremendous opportunity for her to launch her career internationally and not look back at what might have been if McKenzie had been paying attention. She has already gotten more Russian national exposure – with more to come in January – than she's gotten during her entire career in the U.S. Requiring this brilliant ballerina to wait in line for opportunities at ABT while the celebrina/fakerina and the equinerina stomp & clomp through major Petipa roles is dim-sighted and dimwitted.

Lastly, at about 2:32 there is a clip of the producer addressing and thanking a group. The statuesque Svetlana Zakharova, one of the show's MCs, stands elegantly in the center wearing her humongous black and white dress with ballerina poses etched on the skirt.  The photobombers standing behind her are Skylar's parents.