Having had the privilege of being one of under 2500 people to see the opening night production of Liam Scarlett’s Swan Lake, I was no less excited to see it again on 11th June. Starring Yasmine Naghdi (this season is her first as Odette/Odile), the performance once again lived up to expectations. I will attempt to not repeat too much of my last review, and instead focus on the casting and elements of the production I didn’t touch upon last time.
Naghdi is a phenomenal Odette/Odile. As Odette she was soft, luminous, yearning, gliding across the stage with an extraordinary fragility and vulnerability. Her supple swanlike movements were infused with the lyricism and musicality for which she is so often praised. Her Odile couldn’t have been more different: sharp, seductive and angular, with a wicked and triumphant smile. She whirled across the stage with an aura of glittering malice, and she ensnared us – her captive audience – just as she ensnared the hapless Siegfried. I have no doubt that this will become Naghdi’s signature role, although after her superb Giselle and Mistress it is becoming clear that she is one of the most versatile dancers of the Royal Ballet at present.
Photo: @lahollings on Instagram
Such a shame, then, that she was partnered with Nehemiah Kish. I appreciate that casting decisions must be incredibly difficult, especially with such a talented roster of principals, new and old. Kish no doubt acted as a steady pair of hands to guide the newcomer through this challenging new ballet, and in principle I do not object to new dancers being paired with more experienced ones: Osipova and Ball made a great success of their partnership in Swan Lake this season. But Kish paled next to Naghdi. His Siegfried was technically secure but it felt wooden and there was no chemistry between him and Naghdi. After being spoiled by Muntagirov upstaging Odile in Act III, there was no chance of Kish doing the same; his performance was underwhelming throughout. Given Naghdi and Ball’s magnetism in ballets such as Romeo and Juliet and Giselle, I can only hope that they will one day dance Swan Lake together. Muntagirov would also make a fantastic partner for the equally virtuosic Naghdi. Despite Kish’s lack of emotionality, I still found myself weeping at the end – a testament to Naghdi’s stirring performance.
The corps de ballet was, as always, on fine form. The cygnets elicited a particularly loud round of applause thanks to their beautiful footwork and coordination. The Big Swans (relatively junior dancers Lara Turk and Hannah Grennell) failed to impress, although they improved towards the end. Marcelino Sambe as Benno was outstanding: technically assured, athletic, and brilliantly charming. (Benno’s expanded role in the ballet is somewhat puzzling, and I wonder whether it was solely intended to accommodate the huge roster of talented men in the Royal Ballet.) Isabella Gasparini and Mayara Magri were particularly lovely as Siegfried’s sisters; Magri is surely a principal-in-waiting, and Gasparini seemed to float across the stage.
General observations: I should start with the disclaimer that I love this production, and these criticisms are very small. Unlike many others, I really didn’t mind the ending; there is an argument that Siegfried dragging Odette’s dead body out of the water while the music swells toward a triumphant crescendo is somewhat paradoxical, but I felt that it was bittersweet rather than depressing: Odette’s sacrifice broke the spell and freed the other swans. There was something very grounding about Siegfried left cradling a corpse – a reminder of our own mortality? – and I’m not always enamoured by forced happy endings. My main gripe was that Odette was presumably in her human dress because she was free, but the freed swans were still in their swan tutus. Speaking of costumes, the princess costumes were stunning but I still feel that they should have been in gowns rather than pancake tutus, and it would have been nice to see them participating in the national dances.
I thought the expanded role of Von Rothbart as a powerful courtier out to steal the queen’s crown made a lot of sense, but it also threw up other questions: despite the hideousness of his true corporeal, birdlike form, there is an obvious resemblance between this and the sinister looking man in black who stalks across the terrace throughout Act I. Why does the disguised Von Rothbart have to look so miserable all the time? And if Odile is his daughter, why does nobody recognise her in Act III (after all, she would surely have been present at court before now, and she is practically presented to Siegfried by Von Rothbart so it is obvious that they are close)? Or perhaps he has transformed her beyond recognition? These are not so much criticisms, but Von Rothbart’s new role does raise some interesting discussions. My only real gripe is that I found Acts I and II quite long (over an hour without a break), although this may be because I have been spoilt by shorter ballets recently!
Scarlett’s Swan Lake is without a doubt a stellar production that will surely be a Royal Ballet favourite for decades. I hope that, the next time it runs, Naghdi will be cast with Ball or Muntagirov; both dancers would match her technical prowess and her lyrical passion. Francesca Hayward also needs an opportunity to dance Odette/Odile in the next run, preferably with Alexander Campbell. Scarlett will undoubtedly tweak elements of the performance too. Despite its shortcomings, this was a triumph to watch and I look forward to seeing it again in the future.
Photo: @gabo2671 on Instagram
Alice in balletland 