Even to those who have know knowledge of ballet, they have more than likely heard of the epic Swan Lake, set to the music of Tchaikovsky. But what many may not know is that it's a production of four acts that can create a very long evening.
â┚¬Å”Our audiences aren't geared toward those evenings anymore,â┚¬Â says Orlando Ballet artistic director Robert Hill. â┚¬Å”There is some great stuff in Swan Lake, so I've condensed it down to its most poignant moments.â┚¬ÂÂ
The result is Swans: Black & White, a trimmed down version o the classic saga, showing at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center March 30-April 1.
Hill says that his new look at Swan Lake still tells the story of the princess who is cursed to live as a swan by day and the prince who must choose a bride as he approaches his 21st birthday. It just does so in a more concise way.
â┚¬Å”I put this two-act production together several years ago,â┚¬Â Hill says, adding that it wasn't as difficult as some might think to trim down the classic tale. â┚¬Å”You want to tell the story, obviously. For example, in the first act I looked at the information that was delivered about the prince celebrating his 21st birthday, his mother's gift to him and him learning that he must select a wife. So that information is given in a brief mind sequence during the overtureâ┚¬â€Âthen we're directly into the second act featuring the lakeside scene, which contains the iconic images of Swan Lake.â┚¬ÂÂ
Nearly 50 performers are featured in the production and Hill is hopeful that Swans: Black & White will draw a crowd, thanks to the popularity of the film Black Swan and Orlando's strong arts community.
He is also hopeful the LGBT community will enjoy the beauty of not only the dancers involved, but the look of the production.
â┚¬Å”The LGBT community is very open-minded in a lot of ways and the community at large will recognize the classic fairy tale story,â┚¬Â Hill says. â┚¬Å”This is a great opportunity for those who have never seen Swan Lake to find out what it is. This will help them understand why it has survived through the years.â┚¬ÂÂ
And the package in which the story is presented is visually stunning, Hill adds. The backdrop to the lakeside scene is impressive in its influence and simplicity and the stage's transformation into a ballroom for the prince's birthday celebration is elaborate.
â┚¬Å”While this isn't a hugely luxurious production,â┚¬Â Hill says, â┚¬Å”it's not just fluff props. A lot of time and energy has gone into all aspects of this.â┚¬ÂÂ
Of course, at the center of everything, are the skills of the dancers in the piece. The synchronization of 24 swans and 25-plus other performers has already attracted the attention of ballet enthusiasts. While Hill has the utmost faith in his performers, the attention they've received from others in the field has been surprising.
â┚¬Å”We are currently hosting a teacher training course and we have people from all over the country here who know ballet,â┚¬Â Hill says. â┚¬Å”I've received comments like, â┚¬ËœMy gosh, I didn't know the company was so strong technically and artistically.â┚¬ÂÂ
But that's not to say Swans: Black & White is just for ballet enthusiasts.
â┚¬Å”The technical capabilities of the company are such that even those coming in for the first time are going to see something that's on a very high level,â┚¬Â Hill says. â┚¬Å”It's a very traditional story and the way I'm going about it is considered traditional. But somehow it shakes the dust off of it.â┚¬ÂÂ
For tickets and more information, visit OrlandoBallet.org.
