It’s the dream of most little girls to become a beautiful ballerina. It’s most ballerinas’ dream to dance for the Moscow City Ballet. And now you can see that dream up close, because that company is coming to Abu Dhabi to perform Swan Lake at Emirates Palace.
Some of the world’s best ballet dancers will be gracing the stage of the Emirates Palace auditorium on November 11 and 12 in the Moscow City Ballet’s production of Swan Lake.
The story of Swan Lake is a magical fairy tale and is one of, if not the most famous ballets of all time. The score is composed by Tchaikovsky (between 1875 and 1876), though the tale itself has disputed origins. The four acts tell of a complex romance between Odette and Prince Siegfried that has mesmerised culture vultures and the casual fan for generations.
The Moscow City Ballet is renowned for their devotion to classical storylines and choreography, which is why this performance at the Emirates Palace will be even more special. The story of Swan Lake has many adaptations, but if any are close to the intended – it will be this one.
The company, established in 1988, is one of Russia’s most successful touring ballet companies. It was established by the late Victor Smirnov-Golovanov and was the first privately owned ballet company in post-soviet Russia, run by Smirnov-Golovanov and his wife Ludmila Nerubashchenko. Ludmila has been a leading dancer and teacher at the school since 1989. She became the principle ballet mistress and is currently the Moscow City Ballet’s artistic director, following her husband’s passing in April 2013. The Moscow City Ballet has grown to host more than 60 dancers; it is internationally renowned and has a reputation for perfection and attention to detail of the corps de ballet (the groups of dancers that are not principles).
Swan Lake has been performed with a number of different endings, some tragic (where both Odette and her Prince perish) and some romantic (where Prince Siegfried overcomes the evil sorcerer and lives happily ever after with his swan), but we will save you from spoilers of which ending Abu Dhabi will see at the Moscow City Ballet’s rendition. What we can tell you is you will see stunning choreography, beautiful costumes and have a magical, spellbound evening.
November 11 and 12, Emirates Palace Auditorium, Ras Al Akhdar (02 690 7999). Tickets from www.timeouttickets.com.
The story of Swan Lake – a brief overview
The beautiful heroine Odette (the white swan), is cursed by evil sorcerer Von Rothbart to live as a swan in daylight. She lives at the Swan Lake with other girls under the same curse. The curse can only be broken by Odette’s true love, who will stay faithful to her.
The hero, Prince Siegfried, is pushed by his mother to find a bride. He visits Swan Lake one night, sees Odette transform into a human and falls in love with her.
The plot thickens when Von Rothbart casts a spell on his daughter Odile (the black swan) to look like Odette in order to stop the curse being broken. Prince Siegfried is overjoyed when he sees what he thinks is Odette and dances merrily with her. Odette sees their embrace from a window and runs away heart-broken. The prince sees Odette as she is running away and realises he has been tricked.
He chases after her, realising what has happened.
The closing scenes take place at Swan Lake, but we won’t ruin the ending for you.
TOAD sits down with Ludmila Nerubashchenko – The Moscow City Ballet’s artistic director
Obviously you are very busy at the moment, are you still the principle ballet mistress?
Yes, it’s very busy time for us right now with just a few weeks to go before the start of the annual tour. We are busy rehearsing our productions, this year we are touring with five titles. This is also the time for our new dancers to prepare new parts. Overall, there is still a lot of work to be done. I am still the principal ballet mistress as well as artistic director. Both jobs are very demanding but ballet is my life,
I couldn’t live without it.
How did it come to be that Emirates Palace was the venue you chose to perform Swan Lake in Abu Dhabi?
This was suggested by our impresario, Mrs Rania Ashur. She felt this was one of the most important venues in the Middle East and we had the opportunity to experience this last year first hand. It’s a really lovely venue.
Are you sticking to the classical interpretation of Swan Lake and how are you ensuring this?
Our objective is to preserve classical ballet heritage and promote the Russian classical tradition around the world. Indeed, this version of the Swan Lake is the special version staged for the 100 year anniversary of the production, which has included bringing in the best of the classical choreography that the ballet has seen.
Do you have a favourite scene?
It’s difficult of isolate one specific scene in Swan Lake, just because I love the whole ballet so much. But if I had to pick one scene, it would be the ‘White’ adagio from act two. It contains some genius choreography from Lev Ivanov, but also Tchaikovsky’s music score is unique. The scene contains romance and sensuality, but also fear and uncertainty, and this emotional pallet merges into a feeling of undying love. It is very emotional to listen to the music on its own, but it’s even more emotional to watch played out on stage.
What kind of reception do you think the ballet will get in Abu Dhabi, as opposed to other countries?
We were well received last year, which was pleasing. The local public in Abu Dhabi is warm and applauds a lot, which we appreciate.
You brought Sleeping Beauty to the country last year, why was Swan Lake chosen this time?
Swan Lake is the signature show of Russian ballet in general, as well as our own calling card. You can’t be a classical company and not do it. It’s the jewel that needs to be cherished, which is what we do.
It’s our 25th anniversary season, our birthday is on November 11 and we will be performing in a venue as grand as Emirates Palace, so there was no better choice than to perform Swan Lake. It’s also the season we dedicate to our beloved teacher and founder of Moscow City Ballet, and of course my late husband, Mr Victor Smirnov-Golovanov. He made everything possible for us with his tireless work, dedication and love for bringing this art to our public.
