Famous ballet takes to Cork stage, with a twist

THERE is no question about it, Swan Lake is the best known and best loved of all ballets.

Young and old, lifetime balletomanes and first-timers alike are swept effortlessly into its beauty, its story, its exquisite music.

Oddly enough, when it was first staged at the Bolshoi in 1877, the critics didn’t like it, but the theatregoing public knew a classic when they saw it.

Over the century and a half since, it has never lost its appeal. And, let’s face it, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

We should be grateful to Alan Foley and Cork City Ballet for giving Leesiders the joyful opportunity to indulge themselves in fairytale escapism this week, when the ballet is staged in full at the Opera House from Thursday, November 2, to Saturday November 4.

Glittering guest stars Katerina Petrova (prima ballerina of the Sofia State Ballet) and her partner, Tsetso Ivanov, are here to dance the lead roles of Odette/Odile and Prince Siegfried.

As well as this, Foley has selected a full corps de ballet from literally hundreds of applications from around the globe.

“You should see the videos they send! Such talent, such grace, such breathtaking ability,” he said.

Now everyone is rehearsing hard, in preparation for opening night.

But I heard disturbing rumours that changes were being made, and, being a totally hidebound reactionary, raised on the strict regime of Joan Denise Moriarty, I headed off to the Firkin Crane to confront Alan in his den and demand answers.

What is he up to? What is being changed with this Swan Lake?

In his crowded room, packed with tutus and tights, muslin and silk, pointe shoes here, tights there, Alan leans back and waves his hands in exasperation.

“Yes, of course I’ve cut the length. For heaven’s sake, the original was at least four, if not five hours long. You would go in about 7pm, maybe get out if you were lucky around midnight.

“Audiences just won’t do that any more. Neither could I, for that matter. Even if Nureyev and Fonteyn came back and danced in front of me, I couldn’t take four acts now.

“Today’s theatregoers are used to the comfortable time limits of TV, where everything has to end on the half hour or the hour, with breaks for the ads. And parents bringing children would like to get them out and home at a reasonable hour.

“If you don’t go with the modern way, you lose your audiences,” added Alan.

“I remember dancing in Carmen with another company years ago and the curtain came down at 12.30. People were leaving before the last act!”

And so, he says, he doesn’t use a scissors, he goes for the clippers with his Swan Lake. Only one interval, two acts either side of an hour each. That’s all an audience can take today.

But, but, but, we stammer. What’s lost, what have you taken out? Another sigh from Alan.

“Oh, be sensible. All the best parts are still there. The beautiful adagio, the cygnets, the black swan pas de deux, the 32 fouettes, and the so-dramatic ending.”

Aha, we dart back, is it true you are changing that tragic ending? Yes he is, and he is totally unapologetic.

“In the world we live in today, you have to be careful. Essentially Odette, heartbroken, commits suicide, and her prince follows her. You don’t want to give that as a solution to true love .

“We need hope, beauty, inspiration, the courage to fight. And so my swan queen and her prince take on Rothbart and win. Their love is stronger than the magician.”

Alan clearly is desperate to get back to rehearsal, as he asks me: “Is that enough?”

Not quite. From time immemorial, this writer has always thought that the famous Dance of the Cygnets should be performed by younger performers, perhaps still at ballet school. Is it going to be?

Alan laughs at the very idea.

“Oh, come on! That piece is the most difficult in the entire ballet. Four dancers in perfect synchronisation, and a lot of very demanding pointework. Not in a million years could you have four 14-year-olds doing a Lego version!”

If you saw the professionals coming off stage after executing that, he says, you would realise just how demanding it is.

“They’re gasping, exhausted. Kids? Not a hope!”

Thankfully, his production will not commit the crime of using two separate ballerinas for the roles of Odette and Odile. We saw a production once where that idea had been tried, and it was a disaster.

Admittedly, the dual role has to be one of the most difficult and challenging in ballet, and very hard on the dancer, but it’s a challenge that all are eager to try.

The gentle, sad beauty of the Swan Queen suffering under a spell, and the glittering, not to say showstopping confidence of the magician’s daughter make a wonderful contrast when danced by the same ballerina.

OK, Alan knows what he’s doing. It’s going to be a memorable staging.

Swan Lake, Cork Opera House, November 2 to 4, 8pm, with additional matinee on Saturday at 2.30pm. www.corkoperahouse.ie or 021 427 0022 for tickets.