ABT 2024: Swan Lake
Scene from Swan Lake. Photo: Rosalie O’Connor.
On July 5, 2024, American Ballet Theater continued this season's run of the ever-popular "Swan Lake." This iconic work was given stunning treatment through not only Kevin McKenzie's breathtaking choreography, but the way the orchestra and artists put their full talents on display in bringing this work to life. Leading the orchestra was David LaMarche, who imbued much sensitivity into Tchaikovsky’s already-magical score, resulting in a spellbinding night of dance.
This production, with sets and costumes by Zach Brown, beautifully stages the unfolding story with a similarly gradual touch. While we’re shown less of the lake during the prologue as the focus lies on Odette and von Rothbart’s fateful meeting, it makes its discovery by Siegfried hold a newer mystique when its gentle, glowing hues and faded stone structures are finally explored in Act 2. Whereas the Act 1 birthday party for Siegfried was held in a simple but charming courtyard, the great hall of Act 3 was a stunning contrast of ornate bannisters, chandeliers, and the gilded doorway which served as entrance for not only the disguised von Rothbart and Odile, but later the weeping vision of the betrayed Odette. This particular use of projection returned with redemptive beauty during the final scene to depict the lovers having soared above death, finely tying together the theme of transcendent love.
In the role of Prince Siegfried, Calvin Royal III was wonderfully passionate and in splendid command of his form, able to take the audience along the ecstatic heights and crushing lows of the character's arc. His initial appearance saw many nimble leaps doled out as he toured the stage with ease and a cheerful expression, not long before his upcoming marriage arrangements brought forth a more pensive demeanor to color his movements. These searching emotions were explored more fully in the following scene where he confides in Benno before he’s drawn deeper into the forest to encounter Odette. The initial chase between the two saw lovely expression in the way they turned over and under one another as the corps of swan filed on and off stage as the two built towards their charged duet. This number featured wonderful partnering from Royal as he guided her through a series of small forward hops punctuated with delicate, swooning lifts as if she were diving and taking off into the air, and silky promenades which seemed to place him as the wind beneath her wings.
This sense of chemistry laid the groundwork for the ensuing third act, where none of the prince’s suitors seem to be able to draw forth what he shared with Odette. That dissatisfaction made the pas de deux with Odile all the more poignant, due to romantic charge which carried the adagio and burst into excitement as Royal delighted with powerful grand pirouettes. Through these agonizing bouts of love and loss, Royal was more than able to blend ample color and emotion into his virtuosic dancing, all hallmarks of a captivating prince and a splendid artist.
In the double role of Odette/Odile, Christine Schevchenko balanced the two extremes to intoxicating effect. As Odette, a gorgeous fragility pervaded her choreography and showcased her sense of control. Motions down to the quiver of her working foot in supported turn, or the way her legs unfurled at the knee during certain kicks all worked to convey her swan-like nature through the breathtaking pas d’acton. Her following solo took these qualities to new heights as she engaged in stunning chaînés and spins with fluid port de bras as she seemed to fly upstage toward an elegant, arabesque close.
Christine Shevchenko and Calvin Royal III in Swan Lake. Photo: Rosalie O’Connor.
As Odile, all these qualities found a beautifully-dark reflection for her Act 3 pas de deux. The difference between the two swans was sold through the sheer contrast in body language, as Schevchenko let loose with energetic spins, fierce piqués, and sharp, imperious gestures as she seemed to wrap the prince around her little finger. Her variation was refined and lighthearted, as if mocking Odette's earlier sensitivity as she toured with chained turns over the playful chimes from the orchestra; whereas the ensuing coda saw her navigate the famous 32 fouettés with virtuosic flair as she accented them with crowned port de bras. While some interpretations see Odile with a haughty sneer to further emphasize the disparity in characters, Schevchenko's more subtle portrayal could have convinced nearly anyone that she was the real deal as she seemed to delight in the swelling passion between her and Siegfried until it all burst into a final display of triumph as she gloats in her victory with a deep, exulting cambré.
Christine Shevchenko and Calvin Royal III in Swan Lake. Photo: Rosalie O’Connor.
Together, their Act 4 duet unfolded with tragic beauty as the heartbroken Odette waned before her demise, as Schevchenko’s turns and gestures often ebbed away, and Royal’s lifts attempted to complete her seemingly broken wing as she was weakly borne about while the swans returned the stage. This heart-wrenching atmosphere they evoked powerfully set the mood for their ending apotheosis as the lovers transcend death to join each other at long last.
The role of Baron von Rothbart was split between Duncan Lyle in his true form, and David Markey in his human guise. His time during the prelude saw Markey display his sinister side as he immediately worked his magic on the unsuspecting Odette. Despite the struggle between the two, marked by chaotic lifts and catches, Markey was a solid partner for Schevchenko to fight with as she writhed into various poses. His next appearance during Act 3 was fiendishly delightful as he toured the court with strong leaps and savage flair backed by the wailing violin, before a series of brief partnering with the prince's suitors which gradually built up the ensemble, only to be scattered away as he took his place beside the queen in a bold closing gesture. Lyle’s appearances were instrumental in furthering the plot as he navigated this character role with a snarling grace which carried moments such as with the puppet that replaces and briefly depicts the transfigured Odette, or against Royal’s Siegfried as he repeatedly foiled his attempts to break the curse through love or kill the sorcerer through force.
Joseph Markey in Swan Lake. Photo: Emma Zordan.
The corps de ballet achieved much this night in how they both enlivened and often established the scenes they occupy. From the aristocrats of the first act with their spirited maypole dance, to the captive swans of the lake flowing about at the whim of Von Rothbart, the corps dancers were a splendid source of vivacity. These numbers either suspended the plot and allowed for respites of pure dance, as with the Act 1 pas de trois featuring Sierra Armstrong, Remy Young, and Patrick Frenette as Benno, or established the mood of its resulting scenes to fine effect. One highlight of the corps came during the brief "Cygnettes" number which provided a light respite from the richness of Odette and Siegfried’s pas de deux, and featured Anabel Katsnelson, Kanon Kimura, Rachel Richardson, and Yoon Jung Seo. Backed by the light measures from the winds, the four were in a tight unity throughout the series of spritely pas de chat, quick entrechats, and linked arms, and seemed to move as if one small flock. The "Two Swans," played by Sunmi Park, and newly-appointed principal dancer Chloe Misseldine, saw them glide about the stage with graceful poise and grand jetés. This wonderful coordination amongst the dancers shone through grand and complex moments, and most powerfully in the simple, en pointe swaying as the swans paid reverence to the rise of the lovers’ spirits which coincided with the approaching dawn in what was truly a transcendent moment.
With so much beauty to be found therein, it’s no wonder why this production consistently draws a nearly-full house. While a small cast comprises the work, the principals were beyond effective in what was required of them, and the corps de ballet never ceased to provide something to marvel at. The summer season of the American Ballet will continue on July 9, with Kenneth MacMillan’s “Romeo and Juliet."
- written by Logan Martell.