Amber Scott and Adam Bull in Swan Lake, Photo Daniel Boud
All Hail Amber Scott! The opening night audience for the Australian Ballet’s Swan Lake kept bursting into applause mid-pirouette and with good reason. Scott is truly a prima ballerina combining grace and athleticism with such stage presence that, even when she was surrounded by identical swans, there was never any doubt who was the star.
As Odette, Scott captured the beat and flutter of wings with a striking verisimilitude, her elongated arms providing a sustained illusion of watching a swan that needed little suspension of disbelief. It was both an elegant and a naturalistic performance that had the audience enraptured.
The dramatic effect of Scott’s Odette was underlined by her contrasting performance as Odile. Her transformation into the flashing-eyed seductress brought a genuine acting capacity often missing from the most technically accomplished performance. As the shadow twin, Scott is equally disciplined in her technique but she is a different character and thereby a much greater storyteller than most ballerinas who play the double role.
Scott is partnered by Adam Bull, who is a powerful and technically adept dancer executing impressive lifts and supporting some extraordinary balances. But he lacks Scott’s flair and his tepid ‘emo’ prince doesn’t quite produce the ardour the role requires.
This Swan Lake is a revival of the Stephen Baynes 2012 choreography. His interpretation of the classic is a faithful reworking with a modern psychological spin, strongly supported by Domenico Bartolo’s lighting projections and Rachel Burke’s lighting design.
Orchestra Victoria is in fine form under the baton of Andrew Mogrelia, giving us sweeping Tchaikovsky with plenty of personality.
In this design by Hugh Coleman, the production is book-ended by the appearance of a swan-like death boat, carrying the father of Prince Siegfriend in the Prince’s opening recollection and the dead prince himself after his suicide. It is an effective framing for Baynes’ production and sets us up for a dark, melancholic interpretation. The drama is enhanced by the light projections used in the swan scenes, particularly in the way they allow us to see Odette fly free in the final scene.
The choreography in the first act is not exciting and Baynes wisely left Act II alone, appreciating that audiences would not brook any deviation from some of the most loved set pieces in the repertoire. But in the last two acts we see some effective choreographic reworking. The flamboyant appearance of ​ the evil magician Baron von Rothbart – danced with flair Brett Simon – is great drama, especially the gypsy dancers.
In the final act, Baynes shows himself a worthy successor to the Kirov version, designing a poignant separation of the lovers that makes excellent use of the corps de ballet.
But there is no way around the reality that the best moments of Swan Lake remain those well known to ballet audiences – the crisp criss-crossed quartet in Act II, magnificently executed in this production; the romantic pas de deux and, of course, the famous clusters of swans in perfect formations.
This production is a worthy rendition of all those fine moments and a winner for lovers of beautiful ballet.
4 out of ​5 stars
Swan Lake
The Australian Ballet
Arts Centre Melbourne
7-17 June
