Last night, I went to see a production of "Swan Lake" by the Russian National Ballet (a touring company), with a friend who had never been to the ballet before and was very interested in seeing one.
It was wonderful. Such a tremendous pleasure to watch something done right -- even allowing for the fact that the stage was much too small and there was no live orchestra. The dancing was beautiful and technically almost flawless, the acting was very good, and even the costumes were lovely. It was a "cheap" production in terms of effects, which you'd expect from a touring company, but really, it didn't matter. Unlike the British Royal Ballet (an extravagant disaster culminating in Odille falling in the middle of the famous 32 fouttes), and despite the financial/technical constraints, there was no sense of being ripped off, of seeing something that could be so brilliant and yet is not.
My God, how do they do this? How do they dance two shows a day, back-to-back(5pm, then 8pm) and still stand, let alone dance? What kind of inhuman stamina is required to do this, and to do it well?
I'm so glad I decided to go. I was afraid it might turn out like the Royal Ballet performance, years ago. I remember coming out of that thinking that I want my money back -- not only was half the choreography replaced by a sort of artistic leaping around (Rothbart ran around with a cape, for instance), but what dancing there was was out of synch and awkward-looking. Later, I watched a documentary about the company, where someone said that their "style" was to focus on the leaps rather than the spins (I suppose it sounds better than saying "we can't spin, so we don't"). That's like a concert pianist claiming that his "style" is to focus on the white keys. That's not a style, it's incompetence. Ugh. No amount of pretty lights and silk backdrops is going to make up for an Odille who can't spin and swans who can't find their positions.
It's kind of unfair to say these things when I am no dancer and wouldn't be able to do the simplest thing they do on stage. But after several really disappointing ballets, it was just so enjoyable to see class: when movements are precise and not smudged, when positions are held without wobbling and when characters are acted well.
Under the 'high' of the performance, my friend and I have decided to see yet another ballet this week (last minute ticket offer )-- the Queensland Ballet's "Little Mermaid", based on the fairy tale (rather than the Disney sap). The fact that I have already seen this same production two months ago is beside the point. I want to see it again!
...Which leads me to the conclusion that I must under no circumstances be allowed to move to any city where I could spend half my income on watching people spin on stage.