Concept and
Direction by Simon Hoy
Choreographed
by Simon Hoy and Timothy Podesta
Presented by
Melbourne Ballet Company
The
Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre 25th and 26th August
2017
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
With their
production of “Arche’”, Melbourne Ballet
Company have come up with a delightfully quirky antidote for those dance
devotees who feel that maybe they’ve
seen enough versions of “Swan Lake” to last a lifetime, as well as a
tantalising evening of captivating dance for those who’ve not yet experienced “Swan Lake”.
Choosing the
Greek word relating to the beginning or source of the action, to provide the
title and the key, and working with a cast of just nine superb dancers,
choreographers Simon Hoy and Timothy Podesta have followed the basic storyline
of “Swan Lake”, while refocussing the familiar story.
 |
| Alexander Baden Bryce (Von Rothbart) - Kristy Lee Denovan (Odette/Odile) |
The central
figure is now Von Rothbart, danced with commanding malevolence by Alexander
Baden Bryce, and among his bevy of swan maidens is Odette/Odile, (Kristy Lee
Denovan) who captures the heart of the handsome Prince Siegfried (Michael
Braun) and provides him with his Specsaver moment at the end of the ballet.
Those
familiar with “Swan Lake” will enjoy the
many references to the original, especially the re-invented dance for the four
cygnets, and the entrance of the swans in Act 11. But the choreographers have
not confined themselves to “Swan Lake”, cheekily including references to “The
Dying Swan”, and even the Greek myth, “Leda and the Swan”, to create
imaginative sequences danced to interpolations of music from a variety of
composers in addition to the familiar Tchaikovsky.
The broad,
sweeping choreography is idiosyncratic, constantly surprising, and often very
beautiful, with lovely long lines interrupted unexpectedly with bent knees,
feet and wrists. Especially memorable
are the Grecian-inspired dance for the ballroom guests and the sequence in
which four swans create remarkable shapes while preening themselves on the
lake. The spectacular lifts and inventive floor-work was impeccably executed by
all the dancers, who perform in an uncluttered setting of evocative
projections, wearing provocative, whimsical costumes which perfectly suited the
mood of the piece.
This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 26th August 2017
