Swan Lake

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia is currently touring the United States with its production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." I was fortunate enough to take in a Chicago performance at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, and, having also seen "Swan Lake" last year at the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, found myself equally in awe of the athleticism and grace of these Russian performers, yet pleasantly surprised to see a more traditional take on this very popular ballet.

"Swan Lake" originally premiered in 1877 in Moscow by the Bolshoi Ballet, one of the world's oldest and most prestigious ballet companies. The story itself has roots in both Russian and German folklore, and though it was not, at first, well-received, "Swan Lake" has gone on to become one of Tchaikovsky's most popular ballets, alongside "Sleeping Beauty" and "The Nutcracker.

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia was founded by former Prima Ballerina of The Bolshoi Ballet Maya Plissetskaya. Currently under the guidance of artistic director Anatoly Emelianov, the company's 55 dancers are among the most distinguished of Russian artists.

"Swan Lake" opens at a royal court. The young Prince Siegfried (Valery Tselichshev) is heir to his kingdom, and as such must declare a wife at the ball thrown in honor of his birthday. Several potential brides will vie for Siegfried's attention, dancing in the royal court before him, his Queen Mother (Ioanna Bikeeva), and the lively court jester (Mikhail Bogomazov). Siegfried, however, longs to marry for love rather than duty.

He escapes into the forest, presumably to hunt swans with his crossbow. Taking aim at a flock before him, he stops as the beautiful Odette (Ekaterina Tikhonova) comes into view, a princess trapped as a magical swan at the hands of an evil sorcerer, Rothbart (Kirill Danilov). Attended to by other captured swan maidens, Odette's beauty and story of woe entrance Siegfried, who vows to kill the wicked Rothbart. Odette intercedes, knowing that if Rothbart dies before the spell is broken, she must live as a swan forever.

Siegfried returns to the court to attend his birthday ball. The potential brides each dance before him, but Siegfried thinks only of Odette, uninspired by the loveliness before him. Soon Rothbart arrives with his own daughter Odile (also performed by Tiknonova), who bears a striking resemblance to Siegfried's Odette.

Swathed in black, Odile entices Siegfried to dance with her, and he soon proclaims his love for her before the entire court. Too late, Siegfried realizes his mistake, and escapes the ball to find the real Odette, hoping against hope that his declaration will not doom them to an eternity apart.

"Swan Lake" was a wonderfully entertaining performance. Choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Konstantin Sergeyev was very much in keeping with classical ballet, and the dancers were quite skilled, displaying a stoicism that I don't typically see in American dance productions. Danilov as Rothbart and Bogomazov as the Jester were particularly engaging.

The standout, however, was Tikhonova in the dual role of Odette/Odile. As the pure-hearted Odette, she was enchanting. But as the duplicitous Odile, Tikhonova was utterly mesmerizing, moving across the stage with a dark sensuality that was impossible to turn from.

The production was not without weakness. There was no orchestra to accompany the dancers; the music was instead pre-recorded and played through the audio system. Though Tchaikovsky's music is a wonder regardless, the performance does lose something when not offered with live music, and it is such a shame to waste the magnificent acoustics that Harris Theater offers.

Nevertheless, the State Ballet Theatre of Russia's "Swan Lake" was another fantastic offering at the Harris. Though only a limited engagement, the Harris Theater's season is far from finished, and more delights await Chicago audience members there in Millennium Park.

"Swan Lake" ran through January 25 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E Randolph St in Chicago. For information on future performances, call 312-334-7777 or visit www.harristheaterchicago.org.