Oksana was born on April 20, 1989 in Ukraine. Her mother wanted to be a ballerina herself but her dream was not realised, so she decided when she gave birth to a daughter, she would become a ballet dancer. Her mother did everything to make that possible. The day after Oksana's 5th birthday, she took her to the Perm Ballet School. When she was at the Academy, Oksana suffered from anorexia and other psychological problems, but advanced significantly thanks to her natural talent and hard work. In 2008, a documentary called A Beautiful Tragedy was filmed about her. It focused on her life at the ballet school and her battle against anorexia. Oksana was able to bravely overcome all of her problems and received a contract to join the Mariinsky Ballet after graduating. She joined the company in 2007 and became a soloist in 2012. In 2015, she was promoted to principal dancer. She is famous worldwide for her beautiful dancing and has gone on many tours with the Mariinsky Ballet, which have helped her gain international recognition.
Awards
2012 - Spirit of Dance prize in the category “Rising Star”
2013 - 2nd prize-winner at the International Ballet Dancers’ and Choreographers’ Competition in Moscow .
2014 - Leonide Massine Prize in the category "Emerging Talent on the International Scene"
Interviews
My favourite videos
Why do I love Oksana?
Oksana is beautiful. She makes the audience fall in love with her beautiful lines, long legs and arms. She looks like a swan when she dances Odette/Odile - when I saw her live, I could barely believe my eyes. She worked with each inch of her body to become the swan. She dances dramatic roles like Nikiya beautifully. Although she had a difficult childhood, she managed to push through everything that happened to her, wipe off the tears, and is now one of the world's top ballerinas. I really admire her strength and her undying passion for ballet. She uses beautiful gestures and her movements look light and effortless. Her entire physique seems endless, like it has no limit, like it extends towards the sky - she was born to dance.