Senior Victoria Koretsky is not only an avid appreciator of different types of art, but an artist herself. Besides listening to Mitski on repeat and watching movies at triple speed, Koretsky can be found dancing at her local studio; practicing the piano, flute and saxophone; and working with the Black Maskers drama club.

Why do you love the arts so much?

I think that the arts give people not only the chance to express their feelings and thoughts about current issues and perceptions on the world, but it allows people to share everything. Even if you haven’t experienced the same things, art still transports you there. Art allows you to empathize with people you haven’t even met before, or who aren’t even real. 

What do you specifically like about playing music and dancing? 

Well, I’ve been playing music my whole life, so the music came first and the love came second. It’s not like I didn’t like it as a kid, it’s just I didn’t have any strong opinions about it either way. I would say that I’m a pretty talkative person, but in music and dance, it’s expressing feelings and telling stories without words. It’s challenging, especially for me, to not use my words, but it’s enjoyable and it feels special. I feel like you can touch people in a deeper way. 

Do you have a special connection with a specific instrument?

The flute is my favorite. But I really like the piano because it’s an accompaniment instrument, and it’s really easier to play with people than the flute or the saxophone. That being said, if I hear a saxophone on the radio or in a song, that’s really exciting because I’m like, “Wow, I really have an affinity for this instrument.” However, I do think I have a closer connection to the flute because I have played it longer. 

How has dancing from a young age impacted your love and affiliation with music?

I started dancing and playing the piano both when I was really young. I remember really liking the rhythm part of music, and hitting beats instead of the words, even though my appreciation for lyrical-type dances came later. However, it’s really hitting the rhythm that spoke to me when I was a young kid. My mom had noticed that too about me, and was like “Wow you’re so into rhythm,” and that’s what all my teachers had said when I was a dancer. Until this day, I don’t really listen to lyrics of music. I have to actively look them up if I want to listen to them, because otherwise I’m just listening to the music behind it. I also really like thinking about the production side of music and the instrumental side of it, like telling a story through the rhythms and beats, and the chords and the keys. Even though I don’t know much music theory, it’s the idea of music theory that is really pleasing to me. I think that comes from dance, and listening to so much music and trying to find stories within the music itself, and not the words. 

Transitioning to theater, how has being a board member for Black Maskers and a director of One Acts impacted you?
Well, I had never done theater before high school, and I joined Black Maskers in 9th grade and I had pretty much done publicity the whole time. So, I felt really detached from the actual theater part of it, because for most of the shows before this year, I had not actually seen them before the show date. I would just sit in the audience and watch with everybody else. But, being a board member has definitely gotten me more involved. Although I’ve never been on cast, I can still see how much goes into every single production, whether it’s the booth crews who are doing lighting and sound, or props who are running backstage in the wings, or the cast. It’s also impacted me a lot because it takes a lot of organization and communication skills. Just like with other extracurriculars, it takes a lot of time management to organize a club this big, since it’s like 300 kids. Thankfully, I have a board team and I love them very much. It’s very helpful to work with other people on board and to work with a co-director for One Acts, shoutout to Paris, I love Paris. But, it also requires a lot of individual effort and commitment to the club, but when you put it together with a team it really makes the club magical.

What’s your favorite memory from drama? 

There’s so many. I don’t know if this is a favorite memory but the moment when I really felt like a part of drama was when I was a sophomore and we did the Addams Family. That was the first time I attended rehearsals before the show, even though I was just sitting in the audience and watching it. But that was really different from what I’ve done in the past. I had also helped organize the pep rally teaser for the Addams Family and I felt very involved because I got to meet with Mr. Monteleone and plan a lot of things with Ms. Davis. I got to work with a lot of staff, and that was really different from a lot of extracurricular things I had done in the past, since I was fifteen. That was also the first time I went to the green room and participated in all the traditions. As I got closer to the club, I got to see how much of a family it is. 

How do you plan to incorporate the arts into your future?

I definitely want to keep playing music, at least casually. I would like to join a casual orchestra or a musical group in college. I would like to keep dancing, or at least tap-dancing and maybe some ballet, either casually or for a team. I really want to stay involved in the arts in general. Yes, I play music, dance, and do theater, but I’d also love to go to local shows and support other people in the arts. I feel like the arts are just as much about appreciating other people as it is about doing it yourself. It’s all about sharing experiences and emotions and the only way you can do that is if you listen to other people as well.