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| Lina Seveliova in "Swan Lake" |
Choreographed by Marius Petipa and Gediminas Taranda
Canberra
Theatre, 15th September 2019
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
For many
people “Swan Lake” IS classical ballet. No surprise then that these two Canberra
performances by The Imperial Russian Ballet Company have been sold out for weeks,
providing an auspicious start to an extensive tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Through its
annual visits over the years with colourful productions of classical ballet
favourites, the company, under the artistic directorship of Gediminas Taranda,
has built up a well-earned reputation for the quality of its dancers and its
excellent production values.
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| Nariman Bekzhanov leads the ensemble in "Swan Lake" |
This year’s
production of “Swan Lake” lives up to that reputation. It’s a very traditional
Russian production in which the four scenes are presented in two halves. Danced
to an excellent recorded soundtrack, the ballet opens with a party in the garden
of Prince Siegfried’s castle where the guest gather in preparation for a ball
that night at which Siegfried is to select a bride from four young women selected
by his mother.
This scene introduces the company by providing opportunity for a
series of well-staged ensemble dances which are beautifully executed by the
dancers costumed in pretty softly flowing costumes in muted shades. The
costumes for the ballroom scene retain the muted palette with the soloists
costumed in brilliant reds, blacks and golds for the specialty dances.
For the most
part, this production adheres to the original Petipa choreography, but Taranda
is himself an inventive choreographer, and has taken the opportunity to add
pizzazz, particularly to the ensemble dances in the opening scene, and in the
ballroom, with masterful flourishes and groupings to heighten the excitement
and spectacle.
He wisely left Petipa’s original choreography intact however for
both the white scenes, and with 18 swans moving in perfect unison, filling the
stage, costumed in elegant, gently drooping tutus, the effect is as mesmerising
as you could wish.
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| Lina Seveliova (Odette-Odile) - Nariman Bekzhanov (Prince Siegfried) |
Dancing the
dual roles of Odette-Odile, Lina Seveliova is a true ballerina. Beautiful
placement, graceful arms and back, impeccably phrased dancing, she appeared completely
engrossed in each of her characters. Her
Odette perfectly captured the gentle preening and serenity of the swan,
contrasting the seductive flash and technical brilliance of her dazzling Odile.
Offering a rather
under-stated interpretation as Prince Siegfried, Nariman Bekzhanov nevertheless
partnered Seveliova attentively and negotiated the technical demands of the role
with aplomb, while elegant Vladimir Dorofeev successfully captured the dark
menace of the evil Sorcerer.
The national
dances in the ballroom scene provided opportunity for tantalising glimpses of the
depth of talent among the handsome well-drilled ensemble which impressed with
the attention paid to the detail of the choreography. Outstanding, not only
because of their eye-catching red costumes, The two Jokers, Denys Simon and Ruslan
Soengoshev, danced with irresistible
verve, with Simon displaying particular panache with his characterisation.
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| Denys Simon as the Joker in "Swan Lake" |
Between now
and the 27th October, The Imperial Russian Ballet Company will visit
22 centres throughout Australia during their 2019 tour, before heading to New
Zealand. If they head your way, don’t miss the opportunity to see this lovely production.
This review also appears in Australian Arts Review. www.artsreview.com.au