American Ballet Theatre: Swan Lake (other casts) -
QPAC, 3 & 4 September -
I was keeping my expectations in check for the debut of Misty Copeland as Odette/Odile. She is, after all, still a soloist, and it wouldn’t be the first time that hype has overrun reality.
But I wasn’t disappointed. Copeland was utterly gorgeous.
Her much-scrutinised physique and skin colour were not noticeably different from the rest of the cast. Where her differences were apparent it was for their advantages rather than disadvantages. Her back, broader across the shoulders than most, and her lovely muscled shoulders, added to the rippling beauty of her arms, while the muscularity of legs enhanced the shapeliness of her line. The obvious physical strength of her body is a reminder that a swan is a bird of power as well as grace, that this combination is what gives the bird its potent symbolism, and is a welcome change from the pallid, frail creature that is usually portrayed. Copeland’s Odette is a proud and noble creature all the more tragic for being caged.
Technically her performance was almost perfect: her legs and feet are like steel, her movements quick and fluttery or heartbreakingly gentle, marked by breathtaking penche dives. McKenzie’s writing of this ballet has Odette equally, if not more, woman than swan, and there was no doubting the very human emotions of Copeland’s interpretation. She and her partner, Alexandre Hammoudi, were very touching together, bringing out the ballet’s elemental themes of love and betrayal. In this version, Rothbart is a type of Lothario, his swans a retinue of conquests, giving extra resonance to Siegfried’s apparent betrayal and Odette’s despair. Their performance wrung more than a tear or two from this hardened critic and brought a standing ovation from the audience.
If Copeland’s performance seemed superlative, the final night of the season brought another standard again. Like Copeland, Argentinian-born Paloma Herrera was a protégée in her time but she is now a veteran performer, having been a principal dancer with ABT since 1995. Her experience showed in her technical brilliance and obvious familiarity with the role. Her balance and control are incredible, particularly in the Black Swan pas de deux (apart for a minor fluff in the requisite fouettes). I would have liked to have seen her face more in the white acts – whether this was a problem with the lighting or her make-up I couldn’t say. Her partner Corey Stearns was every bit her equal, with a soft ballon and elegant brathos, and delighting with clean, precise technique rather than dazzling tricks.
By most accounts this season of Swan Lake began badly for ABT, but judging by these performances the company pulled itself together as time went on.
- KAREN VAN ULZEN