Enjoying the ever-popular ‘Swan Lake’

‘Swan Lake’ is synonymous with ballet. It has a history of 140 years and is still being highly commended. It is rated as the world’s most frequently performed ballet.

Moscow Ballet ‘La Classique’ is touring Australia right now staging ‘Swan Lake’ in 27 cities until end April before moving on to New Zealand. For a cast of 45 and a production team of 14, it looks quite a strenuous tour but being professionals they are obviously quite used to it.(There are understudies of three for all key roles.)

We enjoyed a perfect creation over the weekend at the Regal Theatre in Perth – a well-maintained theatre opened over 80 years ago. I am no expert to comment on the ballet except to say that we could not find any flaw in the production. One thing was clear – they were thorough professionals. At times there were groups of 18 on stage. They were so disciplined with no one going out of step throughout their dance.  

In addition to the excellent choreography, a highlight of the ballet is its music score with violins dominating. 

‘Swan Lake’ is a ballet by renowned musician Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky based on an ancient German legend and was premiered on 20 February 1877. Then known as ‘The Lake of the Swans’ it was a production by the Ballet of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre and was performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. 

The scenario, initially in two acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse. The spell can be broken if someone who has never loved before swears an oath of undying love and promises to marry her. A prince appears on the scene, declares his love to Odette and promises to be loyal forever. But things do not proceed smoothly.

The current production is by the relatively new Moscow Ballet of Classical Choreography La Classique founded in 1990. It was at a most difficult time in modern Russian history that the company had been formed. It was the year that the IUSSR and the fixed state system collapsed. All cultural institutions were left without the previously strong state support. 

There were problems in the area of education and a hiatus in the training of young dancers. On top of it the ballet audience was declining. People were too busy with everyday survival. Money was in short supply and cash deposits in banks had declined. In such a climate there was no support for the creation of a new ballet company.

However, with private enterprise becoming legal in Russia there was hope for the founder who went ahead in forming the company. Dancers from other institutions like the Bolshoi Theatre and prominent choreographers joined the new company which gradually took off. 

The company says that the ethical and creative traditions built over the past two decades are passed on from one generation of their performers to another, and points out that the traditions in Russian choreography are inseparable from the traditions of Russian classical ballet skills.  

The company regularly refreshes their group with new dancers from the graduates of Russian Ballet schools. 

Always in demand, Moscow Ballet constantly tours European and Asian countries.