On February 21, the Opera House held a performance of the beautiful ballet ‘Swan Lake’ by the Royal Danish Ballet. On this night the performance featured Kizzy Makiatis as Odette, Gregory Dean as Prince Siegfried and Benjamin Buzo as Baron Von Rothbart.
Choreographed by Silja Schandorff and Nikolaj Hübbe, the ballet was an entertaining rendition of a classic. The modern set and lighting designed by Mikki Kunttu paired with the intricate costumes by Mia Stensgaard gave way to a suspenseful performance.
Keeping the classic alive
The darkness shown by the dancers does not diminish the beauty of the ballet. The eerie lighting is mesmerising, drawing the audience into the classic clash between good and evil.
The role of the Prince demonstrates the search for love and the challenges that come with it. His passion is clear throughout the performance and provides a clear view of the drama that has enveloped the prince’s life.
After all these years, the ballet never seems to lose its touch. As graceful as it can be for a human to become a swan, Makiatis’s emotion captivates the audience. Her strength and precision can be seen in each twirl and leap. Her ability to be both the dark and the light shows the audience how evil can corrupt innocence. Her chemistry with Dean gives feeling to the classic love story and tragedy.
Although a classic, to someone who is not familiar with the story, the ballet can be confusing at times. The orchestra, however, takes care of this. The emotion and suspense that the music creates using the original composition by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky can intrigue any audience member.
Making it their own
Known for its seduction this ballet is not seen as something for a younger audience. It was surprising to see children performing along with the rest of the cast during the first act.
Swan Lake has been known to have several alternate endings with each ballet company taking on their own version of the classic. It is interesting to see how after 100 years each director can create a different way to end the love story.
The ending performed by the Royal Danish Ballet invokes just as much emotion and wonder as any before it – adding even more tragedy for Odette and the prince.
