Swan Lake

Artistic Director Li Cunxin has waited many years for Queensland Ballet to present Ben Stevenson’s version of Swan Lake for the first time in Australia,and with the esteemed choreographer on hand (assisted by Tim O’Keefe) to recreate his vision, it’s a time for celebration. Swan Lake and Stevenson’s production hold a special place in Li’s ballet DNA with him having been taught the movement by Margo Fonteyn for Housten Ballet’s 1985 production where he danced Prince Siegfried.

Stevenson’s vision coupled with Kristian Frederikson’s superb art direction gives us a ravishing interpretation of the work which uses an ending very close to the 1895 Mariinsky revival (danced by the American Ballet Theatre in Brisbane in 2014), where Odette commits suicide by throwing herself into the lake followed by the Prince which breaks Von Rothbart’s power over her. It’s a powerful moment which brings this ballet to a satisfying dramatic conclusion.

An alternate cast danced the principal roles at the matinee. Georgia Swan, in the dual roles of Odette/Odile, was passionate in her commitment. She was a better Odile than Odette, displaying sensuality and exuberance in the former whereas her Odette, though technically proficient was at times emotionally barren. Opposite her Shane Wuerthner was a lithe and diffident Prince and excelled in his leaps and pirouettes. Their pairing could have done with a frisson more of electricity, but overall it satisfied.

Jack Lister’s Von Rothbart was particularly dynamic, and the divertissements added a spectacular brio to the performance. Particularly good was Laura Tosar’s Spanish Princess and her escorts David Power and Camillos Ramos, Serena Green and Vito Bernaconi’s Hungarian couple, and Naneka Yoshida and Joel Woellner’s Mazurka duo. Lisa Edwards was an imperious Queen Mother, but it was Teri Crilly as the Neopolitan Princess and Rian Thompson as her escort that pulsed with Latin fervour.

Housten Ballet was also where Fredrikson, in 2005, first created his sumptuous and colourfully rich costume and set designs (recreated for New Zealand Ballet in 2013) - a first act forest glade, moody and malevolent, which gave way to a second act Tudor-type court resplendent in regal finery. His use of russet brown to offset primary colours in this scene was bold stage design.

Conductor Nigel Gaynor also has an affinity with the production, having originally conducted it for the New Zealand Ballet in 2013 and his command of Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, played by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, had subtlety and emotional power.

Peter Pinne

Photographer: David Kelly