After the second act of Les Ballets De Monte-Carlo, I had mixed feelings about their very modern interpretation of Swan Lake. The classically trained dancer in me was disappointed by some of the choreography. There were moments where Tchaikovskys music seemed more inspired than the movement by Maillot. I have seen this ballet over a dozen times, and learned many of the variations and pas de duex for the original ballet. I couldnt help but miss the four swans. The reason why this ballet has been performed for over a hundred years is because it is beautifully choreographer with inspired movement that is timeless, and seems to move with the music, not to it. I do agree that if one is going to remake a classic ballet, it should be completely different. However, I believe that keeping parts of what we love about the classic, and making it more modern would have made this ballet incredible. I was very underwhelmed by Odette and the princes pas de duex, where there was a lot of pedestrian choreography, but with large booming music. The one lift they had fell flat to me, and I was left hoping they werent quite done yet. I didnt see the same kind of passion in the dancing, which could have been done, even with more contemporary movement. I felt disconnected to the main characters, almost enjoying Her Majesty of the Night (the villain) more than any other character. The costumes were beyond perfect. I was in awe of the simplicity of the costumes and the way they moved. Each one was so very unique. Her Majesty of the Night had the most incredible head piece, and a cape that covered The Archangles of Darkness who carried her in, and then were almost as much a part of her character as her costume. The feathered tutu she wore laid softly, coming just above the knee. I spent a majority of the ballet looking at each costume, admiring the time and effort put into each one. So very unique and contemporary, yet perfectly appropriate for the story. I must also add that film in dance is a fine line; it can make a brake a piece. The black and white prologue was beautifully haunting, setting the stage for a Once Upon A Time story. I would say by the third act, Maillot had won me over. I love a dramatic ballet (Romero & Juliet being my favorite classical ballet) because I want to be moved to tears and swept away in the romance of a fairytale. The third act did exactly that. With a tragic twist on a fairytale, Maillot had me on the edge of my seat while he ended the climactic twist of a lose, lose story - one in which leaves the audience heartbroken. My fists were clenched and my eyes welled up, yet my heart was left to see a single piece of black fabric twist and fade away. Overall, well done, Maillot, well done.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 03:47:54 +0000
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