New Elements
The classic of all classics Swan Lake was re-run by the Hong Kong Ballet to celebrate its 30th Anniversary. This time, additional choreography was still by John Meehan, Carlo Pacis and Selina Chau. However, fresh new choreography was added. John has created a new pas de quatre to replace the usual pas de trios in Act I and choreographed the Neapolitan (Italian) Dance in Act III. John also added some fresh touches in Act IV. Carlo has made fresh new choreography for the Waltz and Polonaise in Act I. Selina has created three innovative character dances and a coda in Act III. More dramatic action has been incorporated into the performance.
The Theme
It is about the curse, love, betrayal and sublimation. The vow of love to dispel the curse is betrayed, but the vow is revived as Swan Queen and the Prince reunited in heaven.
The Story
Odette, the beautiful Swan Queen, can only take on human form at night; true love is the only way for her to break the curse. The handsome young Prince Siegfried is enchanted by her purity and they fall in love. Entranced by the evil Von Rothbart, the Prince unknowingly vows to marry Odile (Black Swan) instead at the Ball. Broken-hearted, the real Odette reunites with the Prince by the lake in one last dance...
Choreography
The performance was in four Acts. In Act 1, a new pas de quatre with two male and two female dancers replaced the pas de trios with one male and two female dancers. The dance looked more symmetrical in pairs. There was a part of dance with goblet for celebration at the ball. In maximum, ten pairs of male and female dancers circle in two rows forming a parade. It was extravagant.
In Act 2, there were corps dance movement of swans and pas de deux between Odette and Siegfried. A total of 18 swan dancers moved in a zig zag direction from back stage to front stage, appearing layer by layer. Then, they turned into parallel or diagonal lines, triangular or circular pattern. The patterns looked very beautiful. Sometimes, different groups of dancers were performing different movements.
Some had suggested that the effect was a mass of tick-tocking shapes and rhythms, of richly textured surfaces reflecting light and shade. When the dancers flocked back into unison, it was like seeing the reflection on wind-ruffled water calming into clear image. For the pas de deux, Odette jumped high, the Prince held her in the air. When she dropped, he held her back in his arms. It repeated three times. It seemed that Odette got acquainted with the Prince little by little.
Trust emerged gradually.
In Act 3, the dancing of the four Princesses for the Prince was marvelous. They appeared in sequence of Russian, Italian, Hungarian and Spanish Princesses. Five entourages accompanied the Russian Princess dancing with lots of Russian characteristic knee bending. The pas de deux by the Italian Princess and her escort was very ballet with lots of leaping in the air. The dance of the Hungarian Princess and her escort with four pairs of male and female entourages were spectacular and wisely designed. The eight entourages were standing in one line with male and female in alternate positions. The Hungarian Princess passed in front of the line and was lifted up by each male entourage in sequence. While the male escort passed behind the line at the same time, he turned each female entourage in sequence. The choreography was beautiful. Finally, the Spanish Princess danced with two male escorts. The dance was elegant. The climax came to the spectacular thirty-two whipping fouette turns of Odile. Some suggested that it clinched her seduction of the Prince and worked the watching crowd into a lather of anticipation.
In Act 4, twenty four dancers of the swan group appeared on stage. Sometimes they were in parallel lines, diagonal, V-shaped, curved or circular patterns. It was eye-catching. At end of Act 2 and 4, the most aesthetic pattern was the flat 'm' shaped wave. Twenty four swan dancers formed a wave line with ups and downs across the stage. Also, the 'go and pull back' dance between Odette and the Prince formed the tension. Finally, the two closed in arms. It signified the conflict resolution. At the ending, Rothbart shaking wings travelled back and forth on stage, and back to slope platform at back stage. Rothbart jumped down to signify his perishment.
The Ballet Mime
Some interpretations are as follows. In Act 1, four veil covered portraits of the four princesses were each presented to the Queen and Prince. To unwind the veil partly released 'what the princesses look like'. It partly established the suspense for wanting to see 'how the real princesses dance like in Act 3'. In Act 1 and Act 3, the Queen traced a circle round the face meant beauty. Also, the Prince had two fingers raised high above head with the other hand placed on the heart was an oath of love; clenched fists pointed to the floor meant death. In Act 2, some described 'when Odette balanced on point, her free foot beating rapidly against her other ankle, the feathery speed of the movement emphasized her wild nature, and the ecstasy of her growing love for the Prince.
Music Melody
Some suggested that 'when Odette first appears, shaking drops of water from her wings as she turns from bird to woman, she is accompanied by a melody on the oboe. It is as if she and the instrument are mingling their two private arias. The oboe's plangent melody, heard so clearly away from the rest of the orchestra, sets Odette apart in her own separate world of love and grief. When Odette learns to trust Siegfried, the melody is taken first by violin and then shared between violin and cello (always a vehicle for passion in Tchaikovsky)'.
「看舞‧析舞‧論舞——舞蹈賞析及評論寫作計劃」由國際演藝評論家協會（香港分會）和香港舞蹈聯盟合辦及統籌。
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