SWAN LAKE. Four-act classical ballet. Elizabeth Triegaardt produced Attilio Labis’s 1971 version (after Vladimir Bourmeister). Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Original sets/costumes by Peter Cazalet. Set co-ordination Charles Petersen. Lighting Shamiel Abrahams. Excepting one performance, Graham Scott conducts the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Presented by Cape Town City Ballet with UCT Dance Department and Graduates. Artscape Opera House until April 20. SHEILA CHISHOLM reviews.
DIRECTLY linked to UCT Ballet Company, founded by Dulcie Howes in 1934, Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB) is celebrating its 80th anniversary.
The company may not go back in history as far as Paris Opera Ballet (1669), Royal Danish Ballet (1770), or even the Bolshoi Ballet (1856), but it shares a place alongside several highly respected pre-war ballet companies. Britain’s Rambert Ballet, founded by Marie Rambert in 1926 is one of those. The Vic Wells Ballet – as it was then called – gave its first performance in 1931 and San Francisco Ballet, America’s oldest ballet company, came into being in 1933.
As with every ballet company, political and financial influences affected progress and the CTCB has possibly seen more turbulence than most. In this light, to one and all, past and present, contributing towards CTCB surviving eight decades of uninterrupted performances go warmest congratulations.
A company’s trials and tribulations are not the audience’s concern. Whatever problems happen behind doors must remain there. What counts is whether a production or presentation comes up to artistic and technical standard, and worth the ticket price. Overall, Elizabeth Triegaardt’s mounting of Attilio Labis’s 1971 Swan Lake production passed these tests.
Long known as a first-rate ballet-mistress, Triegaardt’s eye for detail was particularly obvious in the two “white acts.” Less so in the first. Here, the corps de ballet’s Polonaise and Waltz needed added rehearsal to ensure straight lines, co-ordinated port de bras and head movement. Extra rehearsing could have helped Kirstel Jensen to hold her foot on hops sur les pointes and pirouette successfully in her pas de trois solo. Even though Jesse Milligan and Kim Vieira fared better, they seemed unusually lacking in sparkle in this well-constructed pas de trois.
Craig Pedro’s warm personality helped advance his Jester, however, sharper footwork, more practice on his poorly performed tours a la second would improve Jester’s traditional merriness.
Act three’s grandiose ballroom scene saw the company dancing enthusiastically. Mami Fujii, Mariette Opperman, Angela Hansford and Vieira made gracious Princesses. Jensen, Milligan and Conrad Nusser went through their Spanish trio in acceptable manner. Sarah-Lee Chapman, Rosamund Ford, Revel Yon and Bradley van Heerden caught the Czárdás’ infectious exuberance, while Jane Fidler and Daniel Szybkowski elegantly led the Mazurka team into capturing that forceful second beat accent. Janet Lindup need only step on to the stage to feel her presence. In her role as Queen Mother, she brought dignity and acting skills many could emulate – watch her reaction to Von Rothbart in the third act.
In the original 1894 Mariinsky Theatre of S wan Lake, ( Le Lac de Cygnes) those two acts were attributed to ageing Russian choreographer Marius Petipa, with the second and fourth white lakeside acts left to his assistant Lev Ivanov.
It is really these two acts on which Swan Lake’s corps de ballet stands or falls. CTCB stood. Silent shoes, precise lines, heads, arms, and meticulous performance from Cygnets Megan Henegan, Elizabeth Nienaber, Opperman and Fujii made this scene enchanting.
Around these four acts, form the frame for Prince Siegfried (Thomas Thorne), Odette/Odile (Laura Bosenberg) and their love story. A story dependent not only on technical bravura, but on acting and miming abilities.
During recent years, Thorne and Bosenberg have built a solid partnership. They trust each other and this confidence conveyed itself across the footlights. Bosenberg’s undulating port de bras, head preening action and good balances in arabesque made her Odette gentle, lyrical and touched by underlying sadness. For her Odile, flashing eyes and energy behind each movement beguiled Prince Siegfried. Unusually, Bosenberg appeared technically insecure in her solo, faltering badly on “those fouettes”.
In ballet, a prince’s character tends to be somewhat bland. In Thorne’s characterisation, he developed from an unhappy youth falling in love to being distraught at mistaking Odile for Odette. Unfortunately, that all-important fight between him and Von Rothbart (Xola Putye) proved (again) to be a very tame fight, lacking excitement after tearing Von Rothbart’s wing, thus setting Odette free. Despite the flaws, Thorne and Bosenberg did produce some beautiful moments together.
Set and costume co-ordinator Charles Petersen is complimented on the remarkable condition Peter Cazalet’s effective original 1971 costumes are still in. Shamiel Abrahams’ intelligent lighting plot and followspot operator created depth and atmosphere to each scene.
Although at times conductor Graham Scott’s slow tempo caused dancers’ difficulties, he encouraged excellent playing from Sergei Burdukov on oboe, Patrick Goodwin on violin and Jane Theron on harp. And while listening to the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s glorious music, it’s hard to believe Tchaikovsky thought it undanceable when the ballet first failed in 1877 under Julius Reisinger’s choreography.
Swan Lake is arguably the loveliest ballet in the classical repertoire and while faults naturally exist, this production gratifyingly engages visual and aural senses. Do see.
l Check CTCB cast changes at www.capetowncityballet.org.za Tickets are from R100 to R275. Royal Ballet guest artistes Hikaru Kobayashi and Federico Bonelli perform on April 19 at 7.30pm and April 20 at 3pm. To book, call Artscape Dial-a-Seat at 021 421 7695, or Computicket at 0861 915 8000.