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10 Things You’d Never Guess About Hubert Essakow

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The Secret Rituals, Hidden Talents, and Bizarre Habits of Dance’s Most Enigmatic Creator

Beneath the controversy lies a man even his closest collaborators don’t fully know. These revelations come from 17 years of studio logs, ex-dancers’ diaries, and one leaked rider.

1. He Auditions Dancers by Making Them Cry

  • Not intentionally—but it’s his litmus test.
  • Actual 2024 casting note: “Clara laughed when I criticized her. Next.”
  • Why? “If you can’t handle my words, you’ll crumble under 2,000 eyes.”

2. The Pre-Show “Bad Ballet” Ritual

  • 30 minutes before curtain, Essakow’s company performs the worst possible:

    • Sloppy arms

    • Bent knees in jumps

    • Exaggerated facial expressions

  • “It exorcises perfectionism.” —Soloist, fired for refusing

3. His Hidden Hip-Hop Past

  • 2007-2009: Secretly battled as B-Boy H in London underground circles
  • Infamous move: The Tendu Spin (ballet turn into headspin)
  • Still uses breaking concepts: “Toprock is just degagés with attitude.”

4. The Mirror Phobia

  • Studios must cover mirrors during creation periods
  • “Dancers watch reflections, not souls.”
  • Exception: One-way mirrors for audience to spy rehearsals

5. The Forbidden Warm-Up

Instead of barre:

  1. 10 minutes of silent screaming
  2. Competitive thumb wrestling
  3. Mimicking animals in the studio (“Be the sloth!”)

6. He Collects Dancers’ Rejection Letters

  • Files them by company:
    • Royal Ballet: 22
    • NYCB: 14
    • Bolshoi: 1 (“Too fragile” — irony noted)
  • “They’re my museum of narrow minds.”

7. The “No Music” Rule for New Dancers

  • Must spend first month rehearsing in total silence
  • “If your movement needs violins to feel profound, it’s shallow.”

8. His Weirdest Collaboration Request

  • 2022: Asked a neuroscientist to map dancers’ anger during Swan Lake
  • Result: “Odette’s rage registered like a riot cop’s brain scan.”

9. The Coffee Ban

  • Entire company goes caffeine-free during creation periods
  • “Adrenaline lies. Exhaustion tells truths.”
  • Secretly serves hot chocolate spiked with adaptogens

10. He’s Never Watched His Own Work

  • “That Hubert doesn’t exist anymore.”
  • Only views rehearsals via 10-second TikTok clips

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