Swan’s story
The original Swan Lake takes off from Prince Seigfried’s birthday party. On a subsequent hunting trip in the woods, he finds an enchanted lake, and as night falls, the loveliest swan on the lake becomes Princess Odette. She has been cursed by the evil Rothbart to wander this lake of tears until a man of integrity promises her love.
Rothbart’s other plan uses his magic to make his daughter Odile look like the princess to win the prince’s marriage proposal. When the deception is revealed, Rothbart is stripped of his powers. Multiple endings have developed over the decades, and Anderson’s version eschews the standard tragic ending for something different.
“It’s more of a study of intertwined stories between prince and princess, less of a dependent relationship and leaves certain assumptions to the audience.”
Anderson, born in the United States, spent 16 years as a dancer with companies in Boston and Salt Lake City before retiring to become the Alberta Ballet ballet teacher in 2015, and during those years he danced in Swan Lake several times.
His best memories are of Rothbart, the evil sorcerer because “it’s always more fun playing the villain.”
All that experience helped him to modify the choreography of the historical precedents in the supervision of this production. His vision edits the score from its original four-act length, over two and a half hours to contemporary two-act conventions and roughly two hours, including intermission, but Anderson says all the essentials are still there.
“We look at the most relevant aspects of the story, we respect the expectations of the audience and we make sure we stick with those elements. It’s about whether your intention is to be a kind of museum or to take these iconic productions and let them evolve, to infuse your unique perspective. “
Setting the stage
In an arrangement with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, sparkling sets and costumes by designer Peter Farmer have been imported, and new collaborator Renée Brode handles the lighting, a key concern given the number of night scenes.
“It is exciting and intimidating to work at Swan Lake because of your score. I think it is Tchaikovsky’s most expressive score, but it is a very unusual score for ballet. The subway is very varied with swells and emotional upheavals. Try to honor those traditional elements as they have been passed on. “
Anderson and his dancers are delighted to be back on stage, performing for a live audience in one of the best ballet repertoires.
“It’s going to be absolutely triumphant to be back on stage with this production after so long, but there is a poetic aspect to the story about how powerful human connections are with changing circumstances. We have experienced the absence of what we once knew as routine connections, so there is a new appreciation for how those moments can alter our lives. “
Tchaikovsky’s other famous ballet, The Nutcracker, returns for the Christmas season. Then, Alberta Ballet sponsors the Beijing Theater’s traveling production of Hamlet in February. Outgoing artistic director Jean Grand-Maitre brings his highly anticipated final portrait ballet Phi to plumb the music of David Bowie in March, and Anderson reassembles Cinderella next spring to close out the current season.
ADVANCE
Alberta Ballet presents Swan Lake
Where Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, 11455 87 Ave.
When November 5-7
Tickets From $ 62 from Ticketmaster or 1-855-985-5000
Reference-edmontonjournal.com