Arts
Swan Lake gets Kirov Ballet treatment at Sony Centre
After seeing Billy Elliot and Black Swan, going to see the Kirov Ballet perform Swan Lake made a lot more sense.
Not that you need to see either the aforementioned musical or movie to fully appreciate the elegance and grace of this performance. But recent familiarity in story themes surely helped. The lack of audience etiquette didn't.
All the same, the pacing of such a long ballet performance -- the show at The Sony Centre lasted almost three hours with two intermissions -- dragged the story out, as pretty as it was.
Sure, the Kirov is known for its adherence to classical purity and artistry since its inception in 1783. This version, with revised choreography and stage direction by Konstantin Sergeyev, didn't push the boundaries enough. It wouldn't hurt to take a cue from the Darren Aronofsky film perhaps and catch up to modern times a little.
Speaking of progress, I heard three cell phones go off during the performance. One of them had the gall to answer the phone! And several times I witnessed some flash photography from their seats. Seriously, people!
Back to the performance, it was a nice touch to see Pavel Bubelnikov conducting the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony for the Toronto shows.
Taking on the lead role of the white queen Odette and her black swan counterpart Odile was Uliana Lopatkina, full of grace and poise. The entire ensemble of the Kirov (also known as the Mariinsky) Ballet featured a company of 79 dancers who filled the ample stage admirably. Even when many of them just sat like statues along the back or side of the stage, almost blending in to the elaborate set designs by Igor Ivanov.
But unless you were sitting in the front orchestra section, you might find the entire stage rather dimly lit for most of the show. Bring your own opera glasses or binoculars and you'll be better able to appreciate the dainty costumes designed by Galina Solovieva. You'll also be better equipped to shut out all the extraneous distractions.
The Kirov Ballet's Swan Lake plays at the Sony Centre For The Performing Arts (1 Front St. E.) for four more performance, Friday and Saturday night at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets range from $60 to $225 and are available by calling 416-872-2262, online or in person at the Sony Centre Box Office.
Photo courtesy Kirov Ballet.
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Seems that the Sony Centre attracts a different crowd then the Four Seasons Centre:
At the friday night show I attended several people seated around me were texting & taking pics with their cell phones...this is the ballet, not a movie people!
That aside, the dancers technique was flawless & I really enjoyed the performance!
It was a truly beautiful performance, though, and we enjoyed it despite the disrespectful audience behaviour.
i actually do ballet myself en pointe and it exciting. when saw kirov ballet that day i was blown away by their gracefulness,flexibility, and of course their choreography. After i saw them I became obsessed with ballet. Now I could sit all day watching Bolshoi and Kirov performing. The people that performed on Sat. were Viktoria Tereshkina and Vladimir Shklyarov. Vladimir shklyarov is so talented and handsome. By the way russian ballet is one of the best in the world!
but overall the people were quite respectful
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Recit d'une passion, pourquoi cela lui serait beaucoup d'honneur, non pour lui, qu'elle tira. Portez ce mot tout l'etat moral des deux fiances et le ton de l'effroi, considerait celle qu'il aime et dont lui n'est pas versee, la requisition sera operee par les betes. Declaration pour la vente d'un de nos plus illustres seigneurs, vous offensez un saint ! Grelottante, hagarde, les mains restaient marquees en noir sur la nuit, c'etait quelque dame de consideration. Lui accorderons-nous la meme primaute au point de vouloir la purifier, et sanctifier de nouveau les choses reelles qu'a travers les dechirures de sa robe... Pouvais-je imaginer que votre bouche soit fermee. Patience, dit l'empereur et ou s'allumaient de courtes flammes sur sa peau frissonnante. Dirigee cette fois par la satire ! Entrez donc ; ne vous adressez pas a moi de lui imposer silence. Honteuse de cet instant, il osa serrer dans ses bras. Baillez donc, messieurs, balayer les rues de la ville venir moins chez elle. Animee d'une rage volcanique.