Crazy about Ballet (Swan Lake)

In a world constantly inundated with words, words, words, it is sheer bliss to find a place where everyone must turn their cell phones off, sit quietly in the dark, and experience a story unfolding in music and dance.

After marvelling at the classic technical perfection of the Kirov Ballet’s Swan Lake, I thought I should never see it again. But I was intrigued by the idea of James Kudelka’s choreography, which promised to be “ingenious…and add dark psychological complexity” to this 139-year-old ballet based on a German folk tale.

Program notes were not necessary in this production. Costume designer Santo Loquasto contrasted the brown and green velvets of the real world with the ethereal white swans, whose tutus perfectly evoked the look and loft of feathers. Tchaikovsky’s thrilling score, combined with the incredible grace of Greta Hodgkinson and strength of Guillaume Côté, plus twenty swans in Act II, created many electric moments. At one point of dramatic emotion, my scalp was tingling!

Our seats in the upper balcony attracted a motley crew: a well-dressed couple speaking Russian quietly, three guys in track suits who looked like they dropped in directly from a railway waiting room in Central Asia, a young Brazilian dancer seeing her first full-length professional ballet, and three girls on a night out, one of whom proclaimed “Ridiculous!” at the objectification of Siegfried’s potential brides in Act III. She was surely pleased with the twist at the end of this production!

Because there are no recording devices allowed, it was two hours of ephemeral beauty for that audience only. I can only hope to experience the National Ballet of Canada‘s Swan Lake again.

The Beauty of the Ballet

It’s possible to travel across oceans and back in time without ever leaving your city – back to the wonder of childhood or to a velvet seat in pre-Revolutionary Russia. Such is the power of the ballet.

Ballerina and girl before NYCB’s The Nutcracker at the Lincoln Centre

The Nutcracker was the first ballet I ever saw, at the Centennial Concert Hall on snowy Main Street. I marvelled at the gorgeous chandelier, the rich sound of the familiar score played live, the fairy-tale characters and the incredible human form.

Some time spent in Russia was a great way to see and learn more. Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky, or Kirov, Ballet, has such control and precision with Swan Lake, with an incredible 32 ballerina swans on stage for the Waltz. Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace is a triumph of Soviet architecture, and a ticket for the Kremlin Ballet includes entry for a pre-performance stroll of the grounds. The Bolshoi Theatre (now in its 237th season) is where, in 1944, it was the audience members Stalin and Churchill who received a standing ovation.

Ballet puts you in the same seat as tsars and princesses, and a few weeks ago I was thrilled to take mine for The Sleeping Beauty. I settled back to enjoy the same music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa as the audience at the premiere 123 years ago. Danced by my hometown Royal Winnipeg Ballet, it was bright, colourful and full of joy. I was frightened by the actions of Carabosse, relieved by the saving grace of the Lilac Fairy, and delighted by the antics of Puss in Boots and the Bluebird. Principal dancer Jo-Ann Sundermeier‘s Aurora smiled throughout the entire two-hour plus showtime, which was over all too soon. The packed house was on its feet, but the thunderous applause and wolf whistles were still insufficient to express our gratitude for the magic we just witnessed.

What is your favourite ballet?