The UNITED UKRAINIAN Ballet, Swan Lake
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Date Reviewed: 09/11/2022
Swan Lake is a fitting choice for The Uniting Ukrainian Ballet to present in their first Australian tour. The world’s most iconic ballet, Swan Lake is the epic tale of good versus evil paralleling the current struggle to save Ukraine from foreign domination.
The United Ukrainian Ballet Company was only formed earlier this year as a direct result of Russia's devastating invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022. The Company's purpose is to breathe life into productions that "protect, support and spread the Ukrainian culture that has come under great pressure since the war".
The Ukrainian government recognised the importance culture plays in helping maintain the west's public support, by giving special permission for male dancers to leave Ukraine to join The United Ukrainian Ballet Company. This has allowed the company to grow from 15 female dancers in March to 70 dancers now.
The dancers come from Ukraine’s finest ballet houses. Each member of the Company has their own story of how they escaped the devastating war in their homeland to perform for us. Under the artistic direction of Igone de Jonge, former prima ballerina of the Dutch National Ballet, the company have been living and rehearsing together since fleeing Ukraine.
Inspired by Russian and German folk tales, Swan Lake is the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by evil sorcerer Baron von Rothbart. Prince Siegfried is on a hunting trip when he first encounters and falls in love with Odette, who can only take human form between midnight and daybreak. Composed by Russian composer Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake was first performed by the Bolshoi Ballet in 1877.
Despite mixed feedback when Swan Lake premiered, its impact has been immense. It not only has become one of the most popular and well-known ballets, but it has also taken on new life through contemporary interpretations such as the psychological horror film Black Swan and Matthew Bourne's all male version of Swan Lake.
This version has been re-imagined by Elena Glurjidze and assisted by Sarah Knight under the artistic leadership of Igone Jongh. They have ‘fitted’ a large cast ballet to a slightly smaller cast successfully. There is enough of the original to satisfy the purists and several new elements for the enthusiasts.
This production is performed to a pre-recorded score, due to I presume, the prohibitive cost to tour an orchestra or rehearse and perform with an orchestra at each venue. The sets are grand, particularly the palace in act III which features heavily gilded columns and looks deceptively three dimensional. The lake set is full of mist and mystery. The costumes are opulent while the swans’ tutus for the ‘white act’ are simple, as they should be, not distracting from the choreography.
Kateryna Chebykina, in the complex role of Odette/Odile gives us the fragility of the white swan in act I scene II and act III, and the seductiveness of the black swan in act II. As an audience we wait for the famous 32 fouettés and unsupported arabesque of act II and are not disappointed.
Oleksii Kniazkov is a genuine danseur noble. Prince Sigried is a technically demanding role, particularly in the pas de deux sections with Odette/Odile. Kniazkov is a physically strong dancer and was a joy to watch as he partnered Chebykina.
One of the highlights of the evening for me is Oleksiy Grishun’s performance as Rothbart. Traditionally more an acting role than a dancing role, Grishun makes it his own, glowering from his owl makeup and seemingly airborne with countless leaps. His final battle with Prince Sigfried is memorable.
Pavlo Zurnadzhi’s Jester at the start and end of the ballet was an audience hit with his cheeky presence and assured technical ability.
Mention should be made of the precision of the corps de ballet, especially the female corps in act I scene II (the white act). They move as one body. The pas de quatre (dance of the little swans) is a fine example of this.
My only reservations were several blank moments while we waited for the dancers to arrive on stage. This may have been an opening night glitch. It did not detract from the enjoyment, but slowed the pace of the story, particularly in act II.
The United Ukrainian Ballet’s stunning production of Swan Lake is only surpassed by the emotional moments after the final bars of Tchaikovsky’s score. The company take their bows to a standing ovation and carry with them bicolour blue and yellow Ukrainian flags, one of which bears the line “make dance not war” as the Ukrainian national anthem plays.
Tears are flowing on stage and off as the cast stands proudly singing their national anthem a long way from their homeland – “The glory and freedom of Ukraine has not yet perished; luck will still smile upon us brother-Ukrainians”. Words that echo their hopes and ours for their country to be returned to them!
Reviewed by Barry Hill