Swan Lake, Australian Ballet, State Theatre, Wednesday June 8th 2016

Swan Lake, Australian Ballet, State Theatre, Wednesday June 8th 2016

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.  I write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.

"Swan Lake" choreographed by Stephen Baynes is usually a tight cohesive ballet.  This return season and the second night by The Australian Ballet, State Theatre on Wednesday June 8th 2016 should be re-titled "Swan Dive".

Let me first highlight and congratulate the sublime partnership of Kevin Jackson and Leanne Strojmenov.  Their partnership saved the evening for me.  Their chemistry and artistry was on fire with electricity to the back row of the State Theatre.

Now I have seen at least 40 live performances and many versions of Swan Lake by both The Australian Ballet and many international dance companies and I know the difference between a solid performance and otherwise.  Heaven help me with the number of versions I have seen on television, cable tv, or on video or dvd.

Act One saw a sloppy corps de ballet.  To top off Act One I saw one of the worst pas de trois I have seen in a ballet with sloppy footwork, individual timing and near falls.

The man was not supporting his turns and stumbled on about four occasions.

The corps de ballet were out of time and the lines were wonky or not straight.  The pas de deux during the corps de ballet main dances highlighted the hand to hand exchange between the male and female dancer as sloppy and laboured.

I repeat that Kevin Jackson and Leanne Strojmenov were great and may not have been aware how they saved this performance.

The Act Two white scene left me uninspired.  The corps de ballet seemed disengaged.  Take note the interview with Eloise Fryer on page 27 of the programme may explain why. I would expect that the swans would be holding their poses to create a frame and an atmosphere.  Not according to Eloise Fryer who explains that during these 15 minutes of holding a pose she will either look at the orchestra or will run over choreography through her head.  Well used this later technique during "Giselle"!  I am so not impressed that the concentration levels have resorted to this!  Maybe we could supply the corps de ballet with tablets and mobile phones to catch up on their social media obligations!

Overall this "Swan Lake" was more like a "swan dive"!