Review: English National Ballet’s Swan Lake

Arguably the world’s most famous ballet, Swan Lake graced the Palace Theatre stage this week.

The English National Ballet’s stunning production is duly acclaimed, beloved for its captivating sets, polished dancing, and graceful tribute to Tchaikovsky’s delightful compositions. It lived up to its reputation, with four acts piecing together the narrative beautifully. Even when a ballerina fell, the company gave the audience no time to dwell on it as they gracefully moved past it, unfazed.

The ballet, composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76, premiered in 1877 under Moscow’s Bolshoi ballet company. Although it was initially a failure in the eyes of most critics, it has since established itself as one of the most popular ballets in the world.

Albeit done to death, when executed right, Swan Lake is a treat for ballet newcomers and aficionados alike. This rendition of the timeless ballet, choreographed by Derek Deane OBE, does just that – honouring the beginnings of the ballet without making it dull.

Fashioned from Russian and German folk tales, Prince Siegfried and Swan Queen Odette’s romance is portrayed through dance, as they navigate the drama of their battle against the evil sorcerer Rothbart. The tragic love story is punctuated with betrayal, passion, and drama, in compelling routines.

The costumes and performances with the classical music backdrop made for an incredible audio-visual experience. The live orchestra (the English National Ballet Philharmonic) was flawless, accompanying the dancers from beneath the stage.

Junor Souza as Rothbart brought the drama, combining dance technique with theatrics to portray the ultimate ballet villain. Ken Saruhashi as Prince Siegfried wowed throughout, tying the ballet and his fellow performers together.

One of classical ballet’s most iconic images is the magnificent sight of tutu-clad ballerinas moving in unison on a stage that transforms into an enchanted lakeside. Deane’s choreography delivered this and more. The symmetrical imagery accompanied intimacy, tension, and spectacle.

When acts were set on the lake, the curtain would lift to reveal simulated fog, much to the wonderment of the audience. When fog trailed behind the lifted curtain to unveil Act IV, the stage appeared void of dancers, until swans – their tutus coalescing with the fog – unfurled. Theatre effects and clever choreography can be magic.

The culmination of the saga is Odette’s suicide, which Siegfried follows in Shakespearean fashion. With no dialogue to work with, it can be hard to translate stories into ballet performances. Swan Lake is a classic and, luckily, a lot of people know the story without necessarily having seen it. Watching this rendition with prior knowledge and context, the last act flowed beautifully.

However, if there was anyone present who had not familiarized themselves with the tragic ending, the story might have gotten confusing. I had envisioned the gripping leap of the Swan Queen in the Black Swan film (a psychological horror film fictionalizing a Swan Lake season by the New York City Ballet), but with a timeless art like ballet, perhaps less is more.

I can’t imagine why Swan Lake was once tepidly received, as Tchaikovsky’s ballets astound every time. It truly was before its time.

Swan Lake runs at the Palace Theatre until 8th October, the last stop of its UK tour until a stint at the London Palladium from 11th to 22nd January.