SIMONE BOUFFARD
Contributing Writer
When anyone goes to see the ballet for the first time, it is usually a young relative’s performance in “The Nutcracker” with a local ballet school or company. However, the city of Thousand Oaks is getting the real deal Thursday, Feb. 16.
Direct from Moscow, one of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies, the Russian National Ballet, is performing “Swan Lake” at the local Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks.
“It’s a classic — an essential to any ballet lover and a big part of any dancer’s life,” said freshman and ballerina Bobbie Jo Diehl.
“Swan Lake,” is a story of true love overcoming various obstacles, is considered one of the “Big 3” in the ballet world — “The Nutcracker” and “The Sleeping Beauty” fill in the other two spaces. Although naturally beautiful when done by any local company, this performance is special because the Russian National Ballet is a spawn of the company who choreographed the original piece.
“This is definitely a treat. It’s one of the top ballet companies in the world,” Diehl said.
Founded in Moscow in the late 1980s, the Russian National Ballet has more than 50 principal dancers, all hailing from some of the most esteemed companies in Russia, including the Bolshoi, Riga, Kirov, Stanislavski, Kiev and Warsaw. The company is world famous, touring in Europe, Asia and the United States.
Under the artistic direction of Sergei Radchenko, a 1964 graduate of the Moscow School of Dance and a 25-year veteran to the Bolshoi Ballet, the
company is in well-acclaimed hands in the world of dance.
“We try to present internationally acclaimed dancer companies, and we also like to do full-length ballets, so it was a perfect combination,” said Tom Mitze, executive director at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.
Swan Lake, a ballet in four acts, is based on a German fairy tale in which Prince Siegfried falls in love with Princess Odette. The wicked sorcerer Von Rothbart transforms the Odette and her maidens into swans. Prince Siegfried must take Rothbart’s challenges in order to release Odette and her maidens from the enchantment.
Although the story of Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette is known by plenty of audiences, part of what makes “Swan Lake” world famous is its musical score. Peter IIyich Tchaikovsky, who also composed the scores for the other ballets in the Big 3, composed “Swan Lake” in the late 1800s, but it was revised after Tchaikovsky’s death in 1893.
The choreography for this ballet was originally created in 1893, and it is still performed today. This includes 32 fouettés, an extension of the leg whipping itself around the body to create a series of consecutive turns called pirouettes in one place, performed by Odette’s character.
Even though the original choreography and score of “Swan Lake” have remained in tact for over 100 years, the endings to the story have not necessarily been as consistent.
The German fairy tale has a happy ending, and although the final act of the ballet has been performed with the original ending, various endings have been substituted throughout the years of Swan Lake’s productions, some of which involve great tragedy.
However, continuing to uphold tradition, the Russian National Ballet prefers to maintain the original ending.
“It’s timeless. Everyone should experience a performance of this story” Diehl said.
The romantic performance is expected to draw in a large audience, especially since it is playing around Valentine’s Day.
“It’s a coincidence. Although, it’s a happy coincidence,” Mitze said.
Thousand Oaks is part of a 100-city tour that takes the Russian National Ballet to Germany, England and the United States.
02-09-2006
