LEAPING FOR DREAMS
National of Ballet Canada’s Hannah Fischer makes her debut as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake,
National Ballet of Canada second soloist Hannah Fischer is about to scale a personal Everest.
On Friday, the 23-year-old will make her debut in the dual role of Odette/Odile in James Kudelka’s production of Swan Lake.
It’s her first full-length role in one of the canonical 19th-century Russian classics.
Since joining the company as an apprentice five years ago, Fischer has accumulated a formidable repertoire of featured or leading roles, most recently as Hermione in The Winter’s Tale, the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio and a big and very funny lead in The Concert.
Even so, dancing the Swan could be a career-defining moment, but it’s a huge challenge Fischer feels ready to meet.
(Second soloist Emma Hawes, who danced the title role in Cinderella last fall, will also make her Swan debut, on Saturday, partnered by a debuting prince, corps member Christopher Gerty.)
Were you surprised to land such a major ballerina role?
I only found out during our run of Pinocchio in March.
I’m ambitious and obviously it’s a role I’ve dreamed of dancing, but I didn’t expect it. We have a lot of principal ballerinas here who’ve done the role so I didn’t really give it much thought. So, yes, it was a big surprise for sure.
It’s often said that of all the fulllength ballerina roles in the 19thcentury classics, Odette/Odile is the toughest. It seems a bit like being thrown in the deep end.
Perhaps it would have been easier to build up to Swan Lake. I suppose there’s a lot to lose if you do a really bad job of it, but the career isn’t super long and it is such a fantastic role, so, I think, why not?
What are the particular challenges? Really it’s two roles, the innocent Odette of the lakeside scenes and the very different, scheming Odile we meet in the ballroom.
It demands a lot of stamina, and the range and level of technique is really demanding. For the white swan, Odette, you need a lot of balance and control. There has to be the right quality, especially in James Kudelka’s version where Odette is less woman than bird. So stronger arms and volume of movement. Odette is delicate, but less delicate than some versions. For Odile, the black swan, there’s lots of turning and jumping and fouettés. Swan Lake is one of those warhorse ballets. You’re expected to do the tricks. You mentioned those fouettés, a kind of whipped movement that allows you to keep your turns going. Traditionally, Odile is expected to execute 32 of them. That sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Do you have a fallback variation?
Perhaps it may be good to have something in your back pocket, but as of now I can get through 32. There’s obviously the strength that’s required, being up on that leg. But it’s really a co-ordination thing so, once you get the hang of it, it’s not so bad.
Some ballerinas throw in double turns to add excitement. Are you planning on that?
I’ve been practising, but I’ll see the day of the show. If I feel ready I’ll give it a shot. I have not done anything onstage yet. So that always adds its own stresses; floor, lighting. So let’s say it’s still up in the air.
How did you prepare?
I had actually learned the white swan pas de deux as a student at the National Ballet School. Then I danced black swan at a summer program in Banff a few years ago. Once my Swan
Lake prince, Brendan Saye, and I knew we’d been cast, we started working on it soon after; just slowly at first. And we’ve had Magdalena Popa, the company’s principal artistic coach. She was a great ballerina. She danced all these big roles. She really knows what she’s doing in getting someone super-ready for the stage.
Are you feeling nervous about this big debut?
I’m open about the fact that I’m very nervous and very excited. I can be really emotional, but I think once I get onstage it’s go time. If things don’t work, they don’t work. You just have to keep going. And I think it’s most important just to enjoy yourself. If I enjoy it and have maintained a level of focus where I can apply what I’ve done in rehearsal to the best of my ability, for me that’s going to be a success. Swan Lake is at the Four Season Centre, 145 Queen St. W., Thursday to June 25; national.ballet.ca or 416-345-9595 or 1-866-345-9595.