Under the artistic direction of former legendary Bolshoi dancer Sergei Radchenko, the Russian National Ballet returns to the United States for the first time in five years, performing Swan Lake at Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall on Thursday, April 27, at 7:30 pm.
Tickets, ranging in price from $12 to $35, are still available for the performance and can be reserved by calling toll free 866-810-0012. Conway residents may call 450-3265. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets for the general public, as well as directions to the performance hall are available online at www.uca.edu/reynolds.Swan Lake is the world?s most famous ballet. With choreography by the great French choreographer, Marius Petipa, and his assistant Lev Ivanov, and with music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake tells the story of young Prince Siegfried and his search for a true love. An evil sorcerer has transformed a group of beautiful young women, turning them into swans and holding them captive at a remote lake in the kingdom. When Prince Siegfried chances upon them, his eye lights on the beautiful Odette. Transfixed by her beauty and overcome by the aura of evil in which she is entrapped, the prince determines to return and free her from the spell. When he returns, a battle royale ensues, complete with a cunning swan named Odile, a raging storm, and a fight to the death between the prince and the evil sorcerer Rothbart.
Swan Lake plays in four acts. It was originally created in 1876.
The legend of the swan maiden goes back for centuries, as far back as the Greeks, appearing in differing forms in both eastern and western literature. Supernatural female creatures, such as sylphs, wilis, shades, water nymphs, and later swans enjoyed great popularity in the 19th Century, appealing to the contemporary taste for idealized, fantasized womanhood. Women who turn into birds and vice versa were popular themes for theatre, opera, music and literature, and the swan was particularly favored because of its grace and beauty.
The Russian National Ballet travels with a company of 50 dancers, including a large corps de ballet. Under Artistic Director Radchenko, the Russian National Ballet focuses on upholding the traditions of performing the major Russian ballet works. It has a repertoire of virtually all of the ballets by Marius Petipa, including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. A dancer himself, Petipa moved to St. Petersburg in 1847 and began to choreograph for the Imperial Ballet, rising to the position of chief choreographer in 1862. He remained in that position until his retirement in 1903.
“This is a rare opportunity for the people of central Arkansas to experience one of the true grand Russian ballets, performed by this great company from Moscow,” said Guy Couch, director of UCA Public Appearances. “We are excited to present Swan Lake as the closing show of our 2005-2006 Season.”
