Natalia Osipova as Odette
(Picture: Bill Cooper)With its fairytale spells, love-struck prince and flock of enchanted maidens, Swan Lake may seem an unlikely vehicle for rebellion, yet since its 1877 premiere this four-act tutu classic has been entwined with Russia’s turbulent history. In the 1920s, the Soviets tinkered with its tragic ending to better reflect communist values, while in 1991 it became linked to the fall of the USSR after an attempt to block news of an attempted coup led to the ballet being beamed across state TV for three solid days.
In recent years, it has morphed into a potent symbol of resistance to Putin, with cygnet graffiti popping up in St Petersburg after the 2018 presidential elections. Two months ago, when TV station Dozhd closed over its coverage of the Ukraine conflict, its staff made an anti-war plea as they walked off set for the final time – before swiftly cutting to archive Swan Lake footage. Every Russian understood the jibe.
Which made last night’s Royal Ballet one-off gala, in aid of the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, an inspired choice: box-office friendly, but with a bit of a bite. Adding to the draw, a company first: four top ballerinas sharing the Odette/Odile roles, supported by four of its finest princes, plus two Von Rothbarts (one bearing an uncanny resemblance to Putin), two Bennos, two Queens and several sisters. And perhaps the biggest surprise – instead of the work’s narrative thread being lost amid the rapid costume changes, it all worked rather beautifully.
One of the joys of Swan Lake is seeing if a ballerina can pull off two very different parts: the lyricism of Odette versus the seductive glamour of Odile. With that off the cards, last night instead proved an opportunity to compare very different dancers. Act II was led by Lauren Cuthbertson, who tackled the fluttering lakeside pas de deux alongside William Bracewell with a controlled serenity, and Sarah Lamb finishing off its solo and entrechat-strewn coda. Marianela Nuñez made easy work of Act III’s bravura displays and 32 fouettés, partnered by an electric Vadim Muntagirov. (Act I’s Matthew Ball had little to do other than look princely and handsome – a major fault with Liam Scarlett’s staging, which gives all the best steps to best friend Benno.)
But the real emotional heft came with Act V in the shape of Russian star Natalia Osipova and Scottish first soloist Reece Clarke. Her moving Odette is a woman betrayed, wings bent, spirit broken in the face of evil, but still willing to fight on to the end. The curtain falls on the powerless having finally triumphed over the powerful – and as a metaphor for Ukraine that takes some beating.
