Swan Lake

The story of the formation of the United Ukrainian Ballet is one of sadness and tremendous grit. The company is only 6 months old. Many of the dancers escaped the war in Ukraine and have been living in The Hague as refugees.  The female dancers came first. The male dancers had to wait as the Ukrainian Government were not letting men leave the country.  It is difficult to imagine how any dancer could feel inspired enough to prepare for any ballet knowing that their country, their friends and family, are all in the grip of war.  Yet here they are, spreading the joy of dance and trying to maintain awareness of the plight of Ukraine.

Swan Lake is an iconic ballet, perhaps the most famous in the world. It’s story, at its core, is timeless – boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl.  Tchaikovsky’s score is beautiful and where possible, should be experienced being played by a live orchestra. Oleksii Kniazkov is perfectly cast as Prince Siegfried, commanding a regal physical presence. Kateryna Chebykina is enchanting as Odette and Odile. She elegantly contorts her arms into the wings of the white swan and her lines are truly magnificent. There is a real pathos in her performance as she transitions from fear to love to distress and back to joy. 

The highlight of the program is, without a doubt, the amazing Pavlo Zurnadzhi as the Jester. He is light and skilled and utterly entertaining. He performs the role with zeal and comedy and the deft expertise with which he performed some of the highest leaps and most complex turns in the program must be acknowledged.  The cygnets also did a fabulous job of their iconic and technically very difficult section of the program.

Traditional painted backdrops still felt luxurious, particularly in the ACT II ball. The costuming, once again traditional, was also highly endearing. The venue is unfortunately not ideal for a ballet.  In spite of the comfortable seating, the room feels more like a shed than a theatre. The stage seemed too shallow to allow the dancers to really fly and the recorded music really wasn't loud enough. Having said that, the company really did make the most of the space they had.  At the end of the performance, the cast took to the stage draped in Ukrainian flags and the Ukraine National Anthem played – this was a reminder of why we were there, to support the artists of Ukraine. 

Swan Lake plays at Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney, 28 October – 5 November and Adelaide Festival Theatre, 9 – 13 November

L.B. Bermingham

Images: (from top) Kateryna Chebykina as Odette and Oleksii Kniazkov as Prince Siegfried, the Corps de Ballet of The United Ukrainian Ballet, and Kateryna Chebykina as Odette and the Corps de Ballet of The United Ukrainian Ballet

Photographer: Ben Vella.