Swan Lake – REVIEW
Image: Oleksii Kniazkov as Prince Siegfried and the Corps de Ballet of The United Ukrainian Ballet. Photo: Ben Vella
When, during curtain call, several dancers run off stage and return with Ukrainian flags which they then hold high as the Ukrainian national anthem is played, you become aware of what you have really witnessed: a triumph of the human spirit.
The United Ukrainian Ballet is made up of dancers from all over Ukraine who found each other as refugees in Amsterdam. They formed a company early this year, slowly increasing numbers until they were large enough to consider mounting a full production.
But beyond size, beyond talent and resources, what brought the United Ukrainian Ballet to the stage was an irrepressible will to show defiance through art.
Swan Lake is arguably the most famous ballet and one of the most famous classical works ever written. It is rich with melodies that have drifted free to become iconic pieces on their own. Even the choreography is so ingrained in popular culture it is instantly familiar.
This timeless ballet was written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, one Russia’s greatest composers. The irony sits under every note.
If there’s any resentment on stage it certainly doesn’t show. Every dancer in this production moves with earnest passion, with second-life vitality. The troupe has only been together for around six months, but there is a strong sense of unity emanating from them.
The costumes are traditional but still gorgeous. The set is simple, mostly scenic backdrops and the odd furniture props. Alas, the music is recorded, not a live orchestra, quite likely owing to budget. It doesn’t taint the performance.
As you would expect, each of the principal dancers is exceptional, breathtaking. Yelyzaveta Barkalova and Kateryna Chebykina alternate the role of Odette/Odile; Oleksii Kniazkov and Fedir Zarodyshev alternate the role of Prince Siegfried.
Rothbart is danced with delicious menace by Oleksiy Grishun; the delightful Jester is danced by the charismatic Pavlo Zurnadzhi. The rest of the troupe is precise and graceful – there is not a single faux pas.
This is a beautiful production made all the more poignant by the knowledge that everyone on stage has had to rise up from drowning waters to spread their wings freely.
