Swan Lake

Swan Lake
Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Shanghai Ballet. Presented by Andrew Guild and Simon Bryce. Directed by Derek Deane. Regent’s Theatre, 191 Collins St, Melbourne. 20 -24 April, 2017.

British choreographer Derek Deane brings a very lavish approach to the Shanghai Ballet’s Swan Lake. This production features 48 swans to help tell the tragic tale of the love between Prince Siegfried (WU Husheng) and the Swan Princess Odette (Ako Kondo). The result is a masterful performance with an imposing set design.

The villainous sorcerer Rothbart (ZHOU Haibo, WU Bin) has an incredible presence on stage. His magnificent cape gives him a vulture like quality that is quite ominous. His overwhelming presence accentuates the graceful and delicate performance by the dancers and reiterates the dark and brooding atmosphere of the lake.

The costuming and the sheer scale of the production are awe inspiring. The scene set in the great hall of the castle is rich in its colour palette and contrasts to the almost monochrome approach to the lakeside. This contributes to creating a varied and stimulating visual dynamic. As is the practice with some touring ballet productions nowadays, the music is not live. Thus, the performance tends to rely on conveying emotion through the grandeur and opulence of the staging.

The audience was delighted and awestruck by the impeccable and often breath-taking performance by guest dancer Ako Kondo (Australian Ballet). The precision of the dancing was outstanding and the large-scale cast produces some incredible moments of synchronised movement and makes this performance a truly unique experience.

Patricia Di Risio

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.