Founded in 1947, Varna International Ballet, Bulgaria is currently touring the UK from January to March, 2025 – an amazing 75 performances in 20 cities - and presented three ballets at the Edinburgh Playhouse.
Described as a ‘ballet fantastique’, Swan Lake was first premiered in 1877 in Moscow, but failed to receive public or critical acclaim. With new choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, it was staged at the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg in 1895, which is revised for this production.
Set to Tchaikovsky's lyrical score, the supernatural tale relates the love affair between Prince Siegfried and Odette, part swan/part woman. She is the daughter of a nobleman and a swan, both killed by an evil sorcerer, inspired from Johann Musäus's Volksmärchen der Deutschen (1782–86).
To illustrate the plot, The Prince is first seen reading a book of fairy stories as the chapters unfold on a backdrop screen. It’s his 21st birthday and to celebrate, villagers perform country dances for the guests, Siegfried’s friend Benno, his mother, Sovereign Princess and the unscrupulous Baron Von Rothbart. Dismissing demands to plan a wedding, Siegfried walks down to the lake - but where is the traditional scene of the Prince and Benno armed with crossbows hunting in the forest?.
The film screen changes to a lake rippling in the moonlight with animated swans flying overhead. After a slow, sombre start, the drama now kicks off in elegant style as a bevy of Swans in white tutus, glide across the stage in a flutter of feathers and flapping arms with silky-gossamer wings. Odile appears like a Queen surrounded by 18 dazzling swans creating immaculate lines and sweeping circles; the famous Dance of the Cygnets is performed by four dancers, arms entwined, criss-crossing legs with seamless synchronicity.
The Prince is spellbound by this magical vision, the fairy tale come to life, as he and Odile share a mutual attraction in a close embracing pas de deux. Martina Prefetto has such graceful poise, each step en pointe and pirouette with such delicate precision. As Siegfried, Timofei Fedotov, expressing wide eyed, boyish innocence, lacks any sense of characterisation or emotional chemistry in their romantic encounter. In later scenes, he shows athletic skill in high flying leaps across the stage.
Act 2 and we return to the Castle for a grand birthday Ball. Hungarian, Spanish, Neapolitan and Polish girls are presented to Siegfried to choose a bride as they show off colourful and lively national dances; this is a rather repetitive and elongated scene in which, curiously, they step out of character to curtsey to elicit applause. No encouragement needed as a few members of the audience, most annoyingly, thought it correct to clap during a quiet, intimate solo performance, interrupting the conductor, his hands raised mid-flow of the melodic score.
Suddenly a flurry of black swans appears and in the centre, the bewitching Odette in a stunning black and crimson tutu, her beauty seducing the Prince to propose, blinded by her disguise as Odile. But a vision of a white swan makes him realise his mistake and he returns to the Lakeside.
While there are some glamorous gowns at the Grand Ball, costume design is rather incongruous with Siegfried and Benno dressed in doublet and hose, the haute couture of the 15th century. Due to the extensive UK tour, it’s understandable there is no lavish theatrical set. However, the filmic scene images and vintage stage panels are all drab, dull and outdated offering no atmosphere of period or place. A touch of exaggerated overacting from some characters such as Roberta Estrela as the Princess in mad, melodramatic manner. The visual storytelling is rather disjointed throughout, and confusing with changes to the traditional narrative.
However, moments of balletic delight at the end of Act 2 when a fabulous lamentation of black and white swans, fill the stage with an exquisite flourish in crisply choreographed formation. In the Finale of Tchaikovsky’s epic score, the strings reach fever pitch, as the Sorcerer whirls around casting a spell on Odile to prevent her from being with the Prince while on screen, wild waves rage in a storm over the lake.
This magical scene is truly breathtaking.
Showtimes:
This production of Swan Lake was performed on 17th January, 2025.
Varna International Ballet on tour:
https://www.rg.live/festivals/varna-international-ballet