Writer Unblocked

Swan Lake is an old time favourite. The Scottish Ballet 2016 production is refreshingly modern, while retaining the authenticity and tragedy of the original story. Transported to a tranquil land of en pointe magic, the music and dance combined in a delicious expression of eternity.

Sophie Martin delivered a gentle yet powerful rendition of Odette, the beauty of the Swan Queen in each step, her song shouting from within each graceful move. Christopher Harrison stunned as Siegfried, a gifted dancer who embraced the love and tragedy of the role and made it his own.

Choreographer David Dawson made the bold move of removing all tutus, set designs and general aplomb. By their omission, we were drawn deeper in to the story of each dancer, no barriers to perceiving the beauty of their bodies and the melody of movement. In this performance, the dancers are everything: the focus, the fusion, the finale.

However, the production retained the time-defying music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, a composer for each century, a music that can not die. There were beautiful interludes of mere music: the opportunity to close one’s eyes and just be, at one with the meaning of the symphony.

All in all, a great performance, and a ten star gold rating for this seamless marriage of modernity and authenticity. Ballet at its best, this is a performance with something for all.