The Quick Center was packed with people of all ages; there were children and grandparents, students and adults, all excited to see the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre’s production of “Swan Lake” Friday night.
Presented in three acts, Swan Lake tells the story of Prince Siegfried (Alexey Petrov), who is celebrating his coming of age and is informed by his mother, the Queen (Yliya Ilyina) that he must choose a bride at a Ball the next evening. Siegfried contemplates as the joyous festivities continue. The guests depart at the end of the night, and he discovers and follows white swans heading toward a nearby lake.
When Siegfried reaches the lake, he is shocked to see the swans step ashore and transform into beautiful young ladies. The swans’ queen, Odette (Anastasia Isaeva), tells Siegfried of the curse that holds them under the power of magician Rothbart (Pavel Iakovlev). The spell can only be lifted by true love, which Siegfried, overcome by love at first sight, quickly promises her. Odette warns him that if he breaks his promise, nothing can help them. The ladies transform back into swans and return to the lake as Odette bids her love and savior adieu.
The second act opens at the ball, where the castle is filled with guests. Siegfried loves only Odette, but is still courteous with the prospective princesses at the ball. Rothbart enters the Ball with his daughter, Odylle (also Anastasia Isaeva), who shares a remarkable resemblance with Odette. Siegfried is tricked, and believes it is Odette. Odylle seizes the opportunity and tempts and teases Siegfried into proclaiming her his bride. Realizing his broken oath has doomed the swans to an eternity under Rothbart’s evil power, he hurries to the lake.
The final act returns to the lake where Odette tells Siegfried, as he begs for forgiveness, about Rothbart’s work. Rothbart shows up furious, and Siegfried challenges him to a duel. Siegfried kills Rothbart, which frees the women from their swan alter-egos, and lifts the spell.
Swan Lake is your typical fairy tale, and the St. Petersburg Ballet portrayed it with captivating elegance and style. The dancers were all remarkably talented and had the audience enjoying every ounce of choreography they spouted out.
A favorite character for the audience was definitely the jester (Vladimir Dorokhin). Upon every entrance, one could sense the audience’s excitement to see how he would entertain the guests at the ball. Dorokhin captivated not only with his eccentric costumes, but also with his astonishing talent. It is clear that his training covered both classical and modern techniques extensively because he encountered many moves with the grace of a danseur and the skill of a break dancer.
Swan Lake was a treat to attend and a great addition to the Quick Center’s calendar.
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