Swan Lake, Varna International Ballet Review
Written by Hollie for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
The critically acclaimed ballet company Varna International Ballet and Orchestra has returned to Leicester’s De Montfort Hall this week as part of its UK tour this Winter. Performing a trio of ballets over three nights including The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet and Swan Lake, the Varna International Ballet Company bring poise, professionalism and beautifully polished performances to audiences across the country.
Although Swan Lake was written in 1875, it still remains one of the most popular classic romance ballets and continues to prove popular with audiences young and old. It was great to see a particularly younger audience enjoying a classic ballet this weekend.
Written by Russian composer Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake contains some of the most well-known and beautiful musical scores that are instantly recognisable to both fans of ballet but also wider audiences.
Tchaikovsky’s music is brought to life in this performance by a live orchestra consisting of strings, woodwind, brass and percussion which are all meticulously led by musical director and conductor Peter Tuleshkov. Peter as the conductor was wonderfully charismatic and the audience provided thunderous applause after every dance. It was fascinating to have the orchestra play in front of the stage throughout the performance, and the pride that they all showed during the bows was admirable.
Swan Lake begins its tale with positivity and optimism as Prince Siegfried is celebrating his birthday. As usual in stories from that era, his mother the Queen, is keen for him to settle down and find a wife as soon as possible, and she calls for a royal ball to take place the following evening.
Prince Siegfried is feeling despondent about his upcoming decision and decides to go on a hunt for swans at the nearby lake. He is taken aback when one of the swans turns into a beautiful woman known as Odette. It becomes clear that Odette is one of a group of swans who by night are in human form, but by day have had a terrible spell cast over them by evil Sorcerer Rothbert, which means that they become swans.
The scene is set as the most well known song by Tchaikovsky is performed and the ballet dancers dancing on pointe is the most beautiful scene so far. With spectacular pirouettes and arabesques, along with the dancing in the moonlight, the dancers received the biggest applause shortly before the interval.
The second act opens with a contrasting scene full of colour and bright garish costumes. This foreshadows the events that are about to take place and provides a different atmosphere in the auditorium. The themes of good versus evil and the fact that appearances can be deceptive are intricately explored within this act.
With simple props and no scenery, the focus here is on the ballet dancers themselves and they are all absolutely brilliant. They are completely synchronised and I was mesmerised by their skill and ability to deliver the story in a joyful and easy to follow way.
At first glance, I was slightly worried about the quality of the projections at the back of the stage, and I was worried that they would detract from the dancing, but as the show moves on, the story is told through the choreography and use of spectacular and stunning costumes. There are plenty of details to look at all the way through the show.
The Varna International Ballet and Orchestra Company conclude their run this week at the Royal and Derngate in Northampton between 3rd March and 5th March before returning to Bulgaria. I look forward to seeing which ballets they bring to the United Kingdom next year, as I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
If you are looking for some more dance inspired performances at De Montfort Hall then why not try Tap Factory on Tuesday 11th March 2025 or Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez’s Speakeasy show on Sunday 13th April 2025?
★★★★★
