There’s something really special about seeing a ballet on opening
night. The orchestra warms-up, the ballet shoes shuffle behind the
curtain, and the audience whispers expectantly. In the packed Canberra
Theatre, we were ready for an evening of impeccable entertainment from
the Kiev Ballet - a troupe of fifty-two dancers making their way around
Australia on their national tour. Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty promised to deliver with its fairytale imagery and many opportunities for soloists to shine in well-loved roles.
Unfortunately, anticipation gave way to concern as a number of fumbles
worked their way into the early stages of the performance. Nothing too
scandalous - a loss of balance here, a stray prop or a tremble there.
But in the context of this stately ballet, which was performed with its
original, at times unforgiving choreography, these slips were difficult
to miss. The Kiev Ballet prides itself on delivering quality on par
with the best in ballet, so it was all the more disappointing that the
young dancers’ displays of strength, balance, concentration and
precision weren’t sustained throughout the entire performance.
Slip-ups aside, there were plenty of instances when the dancing, music, sets and costumes created mesmerising scenes. Tetiana Goliakova gave
a strong performance as Princess Aurora, and after the more punishing
introductory sequences were out of the way she hit her stride, showing
genuine spark in her role. Her princely partner, Sergii Sydorskyi,
flew around the stage, which sometimes seemed as if it wouldn’t be able
to contain him. His lift and energy impressed the audience from the
start, and he also managed to bring drama to his character,
complimenting his athleticism.
There are many roles that stand out in The Sleeping Beauty,
but the Lilac Fairy is arguably the most important, as she directs the
characters, fights off evil and spends a great deal of time centre
stage looking enchanting. Even though Iuliia Trandasir wasn’t
immune from the odd wobble, for the most part her willowy frame really
did seem to float on air as she drifted between Aurora, her prince and
her supporting cast of fairies. The dancers in these supporting roles
shouldn’t be overlooked as they all had strong moments, despite a few
lapses in unison.
Between all the poise and precision came Oleh Tokar’sCarabosse, the mischievous evil fairy come to curse our fair princess. Tokar
clearly relished the physicality and humour of his lumbering, slapstick
role, as did the audience. Other crowd favourites were the
Puss-in-Boots and Red Riding Hood duos - roles that must be as fun to
perform as they are to watch. Another highlight was the pairing of Viktor Ishchuk and Natalian Domracheva, who sailed through their bluebird pas-de-deux - a little gem kept for the final act of the ballet.
The other stars of the night were hidden down in the orchestra pit. David Stanhope and
the Canberra Symphony Orchestra did a stunning job of bringing
Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score to life, and reminded everyone just how
important a live orchestra is in creating a complete ballet
experience.
The Sleeping Beauty wasn’t ballet perfection, but at times it
did come close. There will be plenty for whom this just isn’t good
enough, and that’s understandable - people want to see the best from an
internationally renowned ballet school. At the same time, it seems a
little unfair to begrudge these young, enthusiastic performers a chance
to dance for an overseas audience simply because they still have a few
years to go before they hit perfection. I suspect we didn’t see
everything the company has to offer in this performance, and bet that
subsequent evenings of The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake will show these dedicated dancers at their best.
Venue: Canberra Theatre Dates/Times: Thursday, 15 May @ 7:30pm; Sunday, 18 May 6:00 pm Duration: 143 minutes, including interval Prices: $109.00 - $65.00 Bookings:www.canberratheatre.org.au
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