Revolutionary spin on an old classic
Stunning triumph by St Petersburg Ballet
Swan Lake
BordGáisTheatre R un ended last night ★★★★★
Ican’t remember seeing a better production of Swan Lake than this one by the St Petersburg Ballet. If anything, it was better than the memorable Russian State Ballet production that opened the theatre in 2010.
It wasn’t just technically brilliant, it was dancing that made characterisation an integral part of every movement and gesture. The company used the subtly detailed choreography, scenery and the wide spaces of the theatre to give full opportunity to the huge corps de ballet to demonstrate their individual and combined skills. The phrase ‘poetry in motion’ has become a tired cliché, but this was more than poetry, it was majestic artistic movement raised to the highest level.
As is usual in Russian productions, the ending had Prince Siegfried and his beloved Odette reunited happily, saved from the power of the wicked Rothbart. A happy ending, but the ease with which Siegfried overcomes Rothbart undermines the power Rothbart is supposed to hold. I must admit I prefer the alternative ending where the prince and Odette die but overcome evil through the power of love. But that doesn’t detract at all from the power of this production.
It’s a classic story of love found and lost, with betrayal, grief and the need for sacrifice to undo the wrong. The prince only betrays Odette through a trick played on him by the ruthless sorcerer Rothbart. Atmosphere is a huge part of the drama and this production spared nothing in scenery, sound and lighting effects and costumes. The lavish beauty of the castle in act two was brilliantly contrasted with the gloom of the lakeside in the final scene, where the enchanted swans, led by Odette, mourned their fate in the belief that they could never be rescued from Rothbart’s power.
Irina Kolesnikova playing the dual roles of Odette and the bewitching daughter of Rothbart, Odile, was quite extraordinary. Her Odette in the early scenes was a tormented, passionately loving young woman but condemned to remain a swan until a lover could pledge her his eternal love.
The pas de deux between her and Siegfried were exquisite scenes of ecstasy mixed with the pain of a hopeless love.
Alexander Volchkov as Siegfried has a less spectacular role, often as a vital support to Odette/Odile, but in those solo dances that gave him an opportunity, he showed his artistic skills with accomplished ease.
One of the most noticeable aspects of the production was the exquisite symmetry of the corps as the bewitched swans.
Another highlight of the evening was the superb performance of Sergei Fedorkov as the acrobatic comic jester.
‘Exquisite scenes of ecstasy mixed with the pain of a hopeless love’