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| Jonathan Paul & Natalia Ashikhmina in Swan Lake. Photo by Wade Bell. |
Swan Lake
Choreography
and staging by Bruce Simpson after Marius Petipa and Nicolas BeriosovMusic by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
A review by Kathi Ellis
Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Kathi Ellis. All rights reserved.
The
Louisville Ballet kicked off their 2013-2014 season September 13-14 with Bruce
Simpson’s elegant staging of the grand classic Swan Lake after choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Mr.
Simpson created this version when he was in Texas, and it was most recently
produced in Louisville three years ago.
In
the more than a century since the Petipa/Ivanov Swan Lake took to the stage, this ballet has become a significant touchstone
in any company’s repertoire and is constantly being adapted and re-staged. Mr.
Simpson’s version is a fine component of the Louisville Ballet’s repertoire.
With
twenty-four artists in the company and fifteen trainees (plus community-based
performers in some of the character roles), Mr. Simpson is able to populate the
world of the ballet so that the Whitney Stage always looks replete. As at the
beginning of any season, it is always good to see new dancers, adding to the
depth and diversity of the company, as well as former trainees joining the
ranks of the company and, of course, the many returning favorites.
Act
One evokes a charming and idyllic occasion as the prince celebrates his
twenty-first birthday with friends – in stark contrast to the prologue in which
the evil spell of Rothbart (Mark Krieger, matinee) has overcome Princess Odette.
The casting of Mr. Krieger, who is both a compelling dancer and an actor, in
the role of Rothbart ensures that this character commands fear and attention in
equal measure. Back in the sunny
castle gardens, Siegfried’s friends capture the joie de vivre of youth
celebrating the potential of the rest of their lives. A signature of this
version is the naturalness of the responses of the characters watching the
variations; Mr. Simpson’s program notes discuss making the story more relevant
for today’s audiences, and this slight but significant loosening of balletic
tradition, to allow for individual and authentic reactions, is one way this
relevance is manifested.
Following
the Soviet tradition, Mr. Simpson includes a jester as one of Siegfried’s
confidants. On Saturday afternoon, Rob Morrow was a sparkling cynosure of the
performance. Mr. Morrow clearly reveled in the airborne choreography for this
role together with the opportunities to subvert court protocol, as well as
"stepping back" when the focus needed to be on other parts of the story. He was
a clear audience favorite. It was a pleasant surprise to see Cara Hicks, better
known as an actress in the Louisville arts community, take the role of the
Queen Mother, bringing a deliberative and authoritative presence to this
character.
For
this revival, the leading roles are shared by Natalia Ashikhmina and Erica De La
O (Odette/Odile) and Mark Krieger and Kristofer Wotjera (Siegfried). At the
Saturday matinee, the latter couple danced the roles. Mr.Wotjera always seems at
home as the romantic lead, and this was especially the case at the matinee,
after which he delivered an onstage proposal to Ms. De La O to the delight of
the audience (and, yes, she did accept!). This post-performance event may have
impacted his focus earlier in the afternoon, when his dancing was not as
precise as usual. By the final act, Mr. Wotjera had regained his precision and
elevation to support the passion of the story’s denouement. For my taste, Ms. De La O’s Odile was
more satisfying than her Odette. Ms. De La O’s lissome arms are always an asset
for her characterizations, but on Saturday afternoon she appeared much more
attuned to the crisp, precise footwork in Odile’s Act Three appearance.
Act Three, of course, is the grand spectacle with all the potential princesses for
Siegfried’s hand presenting them and with entertainment provided by dances from
several different countries. The handsome set by Peter Farmer (courtesy Royal
Winnipeg Ballet) creates the oppressive, formal environment under which
Siegfried chafes. The six princesses were appropriately elegant and eligible, their
disappointment and shock as Siegfried unconditionally rejects them all gaining
sympathy from the audience. The four divertissements – Spanish, Neapolitan,
Russian and Hungarian – provided excellent entertainment, with each variation
visually and musically reflecting each culture and, at times, it felt like Mr.
Simpson was paying homage to other contemporary choreographers, with echoes of
iconic steps and body shapes. The costumes (costume design also by Mr. Farmer)
of the Russian and Hungarian variations were sufficiently out of the color
palette of the court that the blue tones popped out from the gathered
courtiers, overwhelming the delicate coloring of the Neapolitan couple, pulling
focus even during the other variations.
The
swans of Acts Two and Four are the spine of the ballet, and the corps of
eighteen swans smoothly and elegiacally filled the stage, dancing with unity
and unison, trainees and full company members blending into a seamless whole. The
opening of Act Four was particularly evocative as the swans rose from the mists
billowing across the lake as they awaited Odile. Mr. Simpson’s use of the arms
to create the illusion of swans is particularly effective: with one arm
extended above the neck the swan comes into being; with two arms the wings
become palpable; and both attitudes are fluidly interchanged throughout both
acts. The delightful pas de quatre of the cygnets demonstrated well-executed
footwork, but the head movements were not as exactly articulated.
The
program offers specific thanks for audio consultation for this production. The
recorded music was exceptionally crisp and clear, filling the Whitney in a way
usually associated with a live orchestra.
Mr.
Simpson has programmed both Swan Lake
and La Sylphide into this season, a
marked shift from the less traditional full-length ballets produced during the
past few seasons. I have mixed feelings about this. I will always enjoy a
well-executed traditional ballet, but I also enjoy being introduced to newer
pieces and truly enjoy seeing this versatile company embrace diverse styles
within the full-length ballet format. This season we will see works by Ma Cong,
Hougland and Caniparoli on one night in short pieces, but no significant
contemporary full-length piece, such as The
Three Musketeers or The Lady of the
Camellias of recent seasons. I hope that future seasons will restore this
balance. In the meantime, having experienced this season’s swans in this
production, I’m already anticipating the sylphs to which we’ll be introduced
next February. (Attendees at Studio Connections will have seen part of Act Two
of La Sylphide last fall, a wonderful
teaser for the full experience this season.)
Swan Lake
September 13 & 14, 2013
Louisville Ballet
Kentucky Center
501 West Main Street
Louisville, KY, 40202
502-589-7777
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