“Swan Lake”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 17, 2010
By Denise Sum
Copyright 2010 by Denise Sum
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 17, 2010
By Denise Sum
Copyright 2010 by Denise Sum
“Swan Lake” at the National Ballet of Canada has not been kind to women. Erik Bruhn’s 1967 version re-cast Rothbart as an evil Black Queen. James Kudelka’s re-interpretation, which premiered in 1999, is not much of an improvement. The female characters are cruel, vapid, or most often, both. Even the ballet’s heroine, Odette, is not a woman transformed into a swan, but literally just a swan. Kudelka’s unimaginative “Swan Lake” incorporates change simply for the sake of change.
The Prologue features some mechanical swans and a nearly-naked Rothbart (Noah Long) who appears as a dark angel, with massive wings that hinder mobility. He basically moves in slow motion, eventually plunging a large sword into the ground, backlit by a full moon. This is Kudelka-speak for “something bad is going to happen”. It is probably one of the most pointless and expensive scenes in the ballet.
The testosterone-rich Act 1 does away with women completely, save the Queen, Lady in Waiting, and a Wench. It is a shame that increasing dancing roles for men has come at the expense of the talented women in the company. Rather than taking place in the court, it is set in the royal hunting grounds where Siegfried (Guillaume Côté) is celebrating his birthday with his pals. Any attempt to appear macho, however, is negated by the dainty jetés that accompany the familiar first notes of the waltz. The all-male waltz is crammed with steps that do not suit the variations in the music and in the end the male corps look tired and sloppy. There is a melancholic pas de deux for Siegfried and Benno (Brett van Sickle) that shows off both of their technical skills with long, melting arabesques and smooth, slow pirouettes. Next, the pas de trois, danced between Benno, the Fool (Keiichi Hirano), and the Wench (Rebekah Rimsay), is a rather benign, if banal, diversion. Unfortunately, the events that follow, in the words of the program notes, “grow increasingly unsettling and violent.” The synopsis is referring to the brutal and gratuitous gang rape scene. The wench is tossed around by different knights and shoved into a corner upstage, where the men gather around to watch, pumping their firsts approvingly in the air. It is hard to think of a more disturbing interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s score.
Act 2 fares better, thankfully leaving much of the Lev Ivanov choreography recognizable and intact. Plot holes abound, however. Rothbart reappears here with a new look -- 70’s sewer man. He wears a green, one-shoulder unitard with a hippie headband. Given that Odette is simply a bird rather than a woman under a curse, it is unclear what Rothbart’s motivations are. His presence is far more invasive than in most other productions of “Swan Lake”. He spends most of his time tagging along like a jealous ex-boyfriend or an overprotective big brother. Nonetheless, as Odette, Heather Ogden was stunning and otherworldly. She has always had incredible facility, but she now brings more warmth and gentleness to the role. In the beautiful adagio with her real life fiancé, Côté, they were a flawless pair with undeniable chemistry. They were supported by a very well-rehearsed female corps, moving in complete unison.
Misogynist themes return in Act 3, where the princesses are displayed on stools, faces hidden beneath cumbersome tent-like veiled headpieces. They are accompanied and promoted by slimy, greedy ambassadors. In this version, each of the princesses dances a variation to one of the National dances - Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, and Italian. The dancers do the best with what they are given. As the Spanish princess, Tanya Howard stood out with a fiery performance. Rothbart, now dressed in black, promptly disturbs the festivities with Odile in tow. The black swan pas de deux becomes a pas de trois, with Rothbart making repetitive gestures to try and block Siegfried from approaching Odile. Of course, this only causes Siegfried to becomes more intrigued and drawn to her. Here, Ogden really comes into her own, with her steely technique allowing her to portray Odile’s seductive confidence that much more convincingly. The coda is a spectacular climax and luckily Rothbart leaves the couple alone long enough for Ogden to breeze effortlessly through the fouettés (throwing in doubles throughout) and for Côté to show off his pirouettes à la seconde. He swears his love to her, unwittingly betraying Odette and bringing ruin upon his court. The significance of his declaration is less clear, since Odette is not under a curse in the first place. However, at this point, there are so many plot holes that one has given up on making sense of the story and is just trying to enjoy the dancing.
Act 4 is uninspiring with a corps of black swans and more of Rothbart trying to look menacing. Odette forgives Siegfried. Rothbart causes a violent storm. The ballet ends with Odette curled over a dead Siegfried.
The testosterone-rich Act 1 does away with women completely, save the Queen, Lady in Waiting, and a Wench. It is a shame that increasing dancing roles for men has come at the expense of the talented women in the company. Rather than taking place in the court, it is set in the royal hunting grounds where Siegfried (Guillaume Côté) is celebrating his birthday with his pals. Any attempt to appear macho, however, is negated by the dainty jetés that accompany the familiar first notes of the waltz. The all-male waltz is crammed with steps that do not suit the variations in the music and in the end the male corps look tired and sloppy. There is a melancholic pas de deux for Siegfried and Benno (Brett van Sickle) that shows off both of their technical skills with long, melting arabesques and smooth, slow pirouettes. Next, the pas de trois, danced between Benno, the Fool (Keiichi Hirano), and the Wench (Rebekah Rimsay), is a rather benign, if banal, diversion. Unfortunately, the events that follow, in the words of the program notes, “grow increasingly unsettling and violent.” The synopsis is referring to the brutal and gratuitous gang rape scene. The wench is tossed around by different knights and shoved into a corner upstage, where the men gather around to watch, pumping their firsts approvingly in the air. It is hard to think of a more disturbing interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s score.
Act 2 fares better, thankfully leaving much of the Lev Ivanov choreography recognizable and intact. Plot holes abound, however. Rothbart reappears here with a new look -- 70’s sewer man. He wears a green, one-shoulder unitard with a hippie headband. Given that Odette is simply a bird rather than a woman under a curse, it is unclear what Rothbart’s motivations are. His presence is far more invasive than in most other productions of “Swan Lake”. He spends most of his time tagging along like a jealous ex-boyfriend or an overprotective big brother. Nonetheless, as Odette, Heather Ogden was stunning and otherworldly. She has always had incredible facility, but she now brings more warmth and gentleness to the role. In the beautiful adagio with her real life fiancé, Côté, they were a flawless pair with undeniable chemistry. They were supported by a very well-rehearsed female corps, moving in complete unison.
Misogynist themes return in Act 3, where the princesses are displayed on stools, faces hidden beneath cumbersome tent-like veiled headpieces. They are accompanied and promoted by slimy, greedy ambassadors. In this version, each of the princesses dances a variation to one of the National dances - Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, and Italian. The dancers do the best with what they are given. As the Spanish princess, Tanya Howard stood out with a fiery performance. Rothbart, now dressed in black, promptly disturbs the festivities with Odile in tow. The black swan pas de deux becomes a pas de trois, with Rothbart making repetitive gestures to try and block Siegfried from approaching Odile. Of course, this only causes Siegfried to becomes more intrigued and drawn to her. Here, Ogden really comes into her own, with her steely technique allowing her to portray Odile’s seductive confidence that much more convincingly. The coda is a spectacular climax and luckily Rothbart leaves the couple alone long enough for Ogden to breeze effortlessly through the fouettés (throwing in doubles throughout) and for Côté to show off his pirouettes à la seconde. He swears his love to her, unwittingly betraying Odette and bringing ruin upon his court. The significance of his declaration is less clear, since Odette is not under a curse in the first place. However, at this point, there are so many plot holes that one has given up on making sense of the story and is just trying to enjoy the dancing.
Act 4 is uninspiring with a corps of black swans and more of Rothbart trying to look menacing. Odette forgives Siegfried. Rothbart causes a violent storm. The ballet ends with Odette curled over a dead Siegfried.
This “Swan Lake” is at best misguided and at worst offensive. Watch at your own risk.
Photo: Heather Ogden and Guillaume Côté with Artists of the Ballet by David Cooper
