March Issue
By Elizabeth Eyler and Freya Heard / A&E Editor and A&E Reporter
Inspiring young dancers, the Nashville Ballet Company navigates the trials of love in choreographer Paul Vasterling’s rendition of “Swan Lake.”
The first show to be performed by Nashville Ballet this year, “Swan Lake,” took place Feb. 27 through March 4. The production was two-and-a-half hours with a 15-minute intermission.
The performers have been practicing since January, and the show marks the second half of the Nashville Ballet’s 40th anniversary. This is the first time the show has been performed by the Company in eight years.
The original “Swan Lake” was performed to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s music, and it is theorized that the original choreography was written by Julius Reisinger. However, the most successful rendition is choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, which inspires many performances today.
A romantic ballet, “Swan Lake” follows the lead Princess Odette along with Prince Siegfried. The story begins with the antagonist Von Rothbart cursing Odette to be a swan until she finds true love. Siegfried proclaims his love to Odette, attempting to break the curse. However, he is tricked into also swearing his love for Odile, Von Rothbart’s daughter.
The ending varies depending upon the production: whether tragic, the lovers dying, never able to break the spell, or happy, the lovers marrying. The choreographer is also able to make several other stylistic choices throughout the show; however, many elements remain the same.
The Company rehearses in their largest studio, which has a window large enough for any aspiring dancer at Nashville Ballet to watch their work.
“I get to watch the rehearsals almost every day, and it’s one of my favorite things to do! Being able to watch the creation process in my dream job is amazing. I love their casting decisions and choreography, and the production looks like it’s going to be incredible,” said freshman Briar King, who dances with the Nashville Ballet’s Academy.
Often, one ballerina plays both the white swan Princess Odette and the black swan Odile. The two characters often have extremely different attributes, meaning that the ballerina must be able to adapt between different styles of dance.
“Swan Lake” is seen by the ballet community as the peak of a dancer’s career, with the dual role culminating in the infamous 32 fouettés. A fouetté is a complicated turning sequence that requires stamina, strength and the ability to spin around on one leg for 32 rotations.
“‘Swan Lake’ is a dream ballet for most dancers, and I think it looks technically really, really difficult, but of course I’d love to have a part in this iconic show,” said King.
Learning both parts and embodying both characters is a very difficult role that many young female performers, including those in Harpeth Hall’s dance company, aspire to one day perform.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get to do ‘Swan Lake,’ sadly, but if I got the chance, I would definitely love to… I think it could definitely be incorporated in the future, either through a show theme or even a class piece in the fall showcase,” said senior Ayden Elliott.
Elliott dances in the Harpeth Hall Dance Company, but she enjoys going to see performances by other companies in the area. Likewise, many students at Harpeth Hall are excited to support other dancers and looked forward to attending “Swan Lake.” The drama and beauty present in such a timeless ballet remains influential within the dance community, making it captivating to watch as good and evil face off in a flurry of feathers.