Graceful `Swan Lake' showcases Houston Ballet's finesse
I can, in a word, describe the Houston Ballet's opening night performance of Swan Lake last Thursday night: fantastic. If you plan on seeing any ballet this year, please go see this one.
The lilting music of Tchaikovsky is majestic enough to entertain and delight on its own. None of the three Russian ballets Tchaikovsky's music accompanies -- Giselle, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake -- disappoint. Following tradition set by The Nutcracker , the music of this ballet has grown to be larger than the ballet itself, incorporating itself covertly into the everyday lives of many.
During a haunting scene in the swamp, my attention was immediately diverted to daydreams of "The Smurfs ." I was at a loss to explain why, until I realized that the cartoon's theme song was lifted directly from this particular scene in Swan Lake. You will undoubtedly recognize and appreciate this wonderful music.
The ageless story of an impossible love warms the heart and evokes fire from the soul. The physical beauty and grace of the dance amaze and overwhelm, expressing what words cannot. The technical design and costume finery dazzle the eye and outwit reality, causing the members of the audience to believe they, too, are a part of this magical land where true love triumphs -- even over death.
The synopsis of the ballet is relatively simple, but remember that for all intents and purposes in ballet it is not the story that is of paramount importance, but the masterful telling of it.
The Houston Ballet dancers and choreography staff do an excellent job of depicting physically the emotions and meaningful details of the plot. The evil sorcerer Von Rothbart, danced by Dorio Perez, cruelly transforms Princess Odette, danced by prima ballerina Dawn Scannell into a swan. Prince Siegfried, danced by Carlos Acosta, discovers her true identity and swears his love for her.
The conflict arises when Von Rothbart tricks the prince and he unwittingly condemns Odette to live out her life under the spell. I will not ruin it for you by telling how it ends -- you'll have to see the performance yourself.
Part of the fascination with this particular ballet lies in the collage of different styles of dancing choreographed so that they complement, rather than distract from, pure ballet.
The first dance of the ballet embodies beautiful harmony: a pas de six comprised of male and female dancers fitting together as smoothly as the elegantly crafted gears of a grandfather clock and moving with a seeming modicum of exertion.
The harp lulls us into the second dance, giving the impression that this dance is to be a solemn and sedate showcase of talent, but the initial notes deceive; a light-hearted pas de troi comprised of Houston Ballet notables Courtney Harris, Lauren Anderson and Dominic Walsh compete for the attention of the ball attendees in the first act by swirling faster as the music swells to a pace that even a sprinter would have difficulty keeping up with.
In the third act of the ballet, eight artists perform a complicated dance called the Czardas. The eight (men dancing in boots, women in heels) move in an artfully executed, emphatically spirited dance, slightly resembling a Russian jig.
In the same act, a trio forms a lively Spanish dance ensemble which appeared authentic and, oddly, seemed not at all out of sync with the rest of the ballet, even though the format was vastly different.
Seductive skirt swinging and unbroken, passionate gazes among dancers further authenticizes the dance. In this way, choreographer Ben Stevenson melds cultures and dance genres to produce an outstanding work of art which entertains and surprises the audience.
The format of the ballet includes a grueling dual role for the prima ballerina. She must dance both the roles of Odette, the princess transformed into a swan, and the cunning and vibrant Odile, Von Rothbart's daughter.
This presents a particularly strenuous exertion for the dancer. While she must flow lyrically and serenely in her role of Odette, when she arrives as the more aggressive and seductive Odile she must perform much more physically demanding choreography. I was awestruck when I saw the ballerina effortlessly execute no less than 32 exhausting fouettes.
Without missing a beat, Odette completes her solo and commences dancing complementary to the prince as he embarks upon his technically difficult solo, replete with superhuman leaps and seemingly endless turns.
Evidently, the audience was awestruck as well. At the end of the performance a brief silence fell and the audience caught its breath before a deafening thunder of applause arose. For a moment, I felt as though I were a spectator at the 1996 Olympics when the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team won the gold medal.
Perhaps you can tell that I enjoyed the ballet. Couple Swan Lak e with good company and a good dinner to discuss the ballet over, and you have got yourself one heck of a great (and sophisticated) night out.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the September 27, 1996 issue.
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