Swan Lake Moscow City Ballet

[SplitSoul]

I saw Swan Lake in Birmingham tonight performed by the MCB. I am not a ballet expert, having only recently got into it through my 8 year old daughter. We have so far only seen ballets performed by BRB, so that's my benchmark (not a bad one, I suspect).

 

1. The orchestra was appalling. Out of time, ropey, out of tune. The flute fluffed up so many entries. The music was played in quite a flat way. Some of the tremendous climaxes where completely wasted.

 

2. The dancers' entries were almost all out of time, possibly because the orchestra didn't settle into the tempi, but also just bad timing from the dancers.

 

3. The troupe seemed tired, lacklustre and at times bored. Hardly any smiles.

 

4. Odette was clearly talented, but so skinny I was put off by it. A skeleton covered with skin. The only bulge was on her calf muscles. 

 

5. Some of the corps were clearly not up to it. They seemed to not know the steps and be copying others. Something I have only ever seen in my daughter's end of term ballet recitals.

 

6. Too many wobbly arabesques, poor landings and general missteps. 

 

7. Someone was speaking very loudly in the wings in Russian. It rather spoilt the Prince and Odette's pas de deux. Also happened in the overture. It was in Symphony Hall, not normally a theatre, so may well be OK in the wings normally, but not here.

 

What I did like:

 

Costumes were fab. Choreography was really effective. Some amazing moments from Odette and the Prince.

 

Overall pretty disappointing, but then again, I was in a way just pleased to get out and see something that wasn't cancelled.

 

 

[AnneMarriott]

Unfortunately this is the experience of many ballet-goers who do not have access to major venues, certainly now that touring by major British companies is severely reduced.  A few Russian companies tour constantly with small repertoires of well-known ballets, performed with varying degrees of competence and enthusiasm.  Production values are often low - your appreciation of the costumes is a definite plus!  Thanks to the reputation  of the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky, there is a perception that "if it's Russian it must be good" and it is sad that many audiences will think that what they are seeing is the best that ballet can offer.  

[maryrosesatonapin]

I've not been to this performance but in the past I've enjoyed touring Russian troupes.  Yes, of course they can't have the same scenery and costumes as a subsidised 'at home' company but they often have one or two excellent dancers.  So I'm sorry that your experience was so disappointing, @Elz.  I always wonder what the dancers' lives are like - constantly on the move, numerous performances in unknown, variable venues, possibly not much care given to their health and safety.  Maybe I'm over-dramatising!  I'm going to see them next week so am dreading the orchestra above all!

 

[Tango Dancer]

21 hours ago, Elz said:

 

 

4. Odette was clearly talented, but so skinny I was put off by it. A skeleton covered with skin. The only bulge was on her calf muscles. 

 

 

I went to see their version of Nutcracker before Covid and I was quite put off by the fact the dancers looked emaciated.  I mean I know dancers don't carry excess weight but the ones I saw in this company were uncomfortably thin.  

 

Thanks for this review.  They're coming to my local theatre soon and I have been in two minds whether to try and go.  

[Mary]

I can imagine their lives - touring round, constantly on the move, doing the same thing all the time and no doubt not staying in very luxurious accommodation, far from home, and no doubt often lacking the sort of care and back-up dancers really need, are probably very gruelling.

 

[Silke H]

I understand you completely, @Elz

I had seen Moscow City Ballet's Sleeping Beauty back in 2012 when I was living in Abu Dhabi and desperate for any kind of ballet.  But I shouldn't have bothered.

Here's a link to the blog entry I wrote back then.

Moscow City Ballet

[Tippytoes17]

Oh no - I’m due to see this in Manchester towards the end of the month and was rather looking forward to it! I suppose I should thank you for the heads up 🥲

[alison]

Well, you never know, you may enjoy it

[AnneMarriott]

9 hours ago, Mary said:

I can imagine their lives - touring round, constantly on the move, doing the same thing all the time and no doubt not staying in very luxurious accommodation, far from home, and no doubt often lacking the sort of care and back-up dancers really need, are probably very gruelling.

 

Absolutely, and I do feel for them as individuals - but a paying, ballet-loving audience deserves better.

[SplitSoul]

Ticket priced were a fraction of ENB/Northern etc. Having reflected on it for a few days, my overall impression was that the performers  all just seemed so unhealthy. We were in the front row, so v close up. I think the touring means they lead massively unhealthy life styles, they are probably underpaid and exhausted. I feel for them, I really do.

 

I would rather pay more for a ticket and have healthier performers. But sadly, ballet already prices out poorer people and I think these cheaper events (even if lower quailty) are really important. There were a few people I spoke to on the night and it was their first time at the ballet, they thought it was magical. Shame they didn't get to see better quality, but in the end, they wouldn't have come to a more expensive show and wouldn't have seen any ballet in that case.

 

Looking forward to hearing others' feedback from other MCB events.

 

 

 

 

[rowan]

I know little about this company and have never seen them, but I’m not entirely comfortable with publicly describing any person, dancer or not, as a skeleton covered in skin. I don’t mean to start a bun fight, but would we describe a plumper dancer in a similarly derogatory manner?

[Fiz]

I saw this company back in 2015 and although I agree with Rowan about the description of the lead dancer being unkind, she was extremely emaciated then and presumably has not changed since then. It’s very sad. 

[Tango Dancer]

3 minutes ago, Fiz said:

I saw this company back in 2015 and although I agree with Rowan about the description of the lead dancer being unkind, she was extremely emaciated then and presumably has not changed since then. It’s very sad. 

 

Yes the description was perhaps unkind but I do find it uncomfortable particularly to watch the very emaciated dancers that some companies seem to have (in my experience particularly the Russian ones).  It just makes me feel bad for them and I want to take them home and give them Yorkshire pudding and a good meal to bring some colour to their cheeks.  In contrast the RB and BRB dancers I've seen have all been slender but looked healthy.  I watched a clip of Yasmine Naghdi doing the Giselle variation on YouTube recently and while she's petite, she looks well nourished and healthy.     

 

[SplitSoul]

I apologise for causing offence, that was not my intention. On reflection, I could have phrased it more kindly, but the outcome is the same.

 

Most dancers are thin or very thin, it's just she was markedly thinner than any other dancer I had ever seen, and it really wasn't nice. It actually put me off enjoying her dancing, which is a shame because she was very talented. 

 

[akh]

What I found most off putting on the times I have seen this Company was the dancers lacked any expression in their dancing and seemed very tired. Their touring schedule seems really punishing for the dancers. 

[AnneMarriott]

8 hours ago, Elz said:

...

 

I would rather pay more for a ticket and have healthier performers. But sadly, ballet already prices out poorer people and I think these cheaper events (even if lower quailty) are really important. There were a few people I spoke to on the night and it was their first time at the ballet, they thought it was magical. Shame they didn't get to see better quality, but in the end, they wouldn't have come to a more expensive show and wouldn't have seen any ballet in that case.

...

8 hours ago, Elz said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

This reminds me of the last time we went to see the company at the Hexagon in Reading, some years ago.  We decided to give them a last chance after several disappointing performances but left at the interval muttering darkly about how awful it was.  Meanwhile the foyer and bars were buzzing with people saying how thrilling it was.  I'm now in two minds about whether it is better to have seen something second, or even third rate, and enjoyed it or to have never seen any ballet at all.

[Scheherezade]

5 minutes ago, AnneMarriott said:

I'm now in two minds about whether it is better to have seen something second, or even third rate, and enjoyed it or to have never seen any ballet at all.

 

Enjoyment is key. It has to be better to have seen something third rate and enjoyed it than not to have seen any ballet at all, and who's to say that those who initially enjoy a third rate performance won't then progress to watch and enjoy the very best. The difficulty, of course, is that a discerning first time attendee might be put off for life if the quality of what they see is poor.

[maryrosesatonapin]

I went to see Moscow City Ballet’s Swan Lake at Aylesbury last night, and was rather dreading it after the above comments.  But turned out to be quite an enjoyable evening!  I suppose it is better to go expecting poor quality and be pleasantly surprised than the other way round.
 

Odette/Odile was danced by Liliya Orekhova, whose fragile appearance belied a strong technique with beautiful lines.  I’ve never seen such a bird-like Odette.  She was delicate and appealing in the first act but really came into her own as a seductive, evil Odile who made short work of 32 stylish, non-travelling fouéttes.
 

All of the other dancers were at least adequate and many seemed very young.  Prince Siegfried, Mikhailo Tkachuk, looked the part and was a sound partner but not otherwise very special.  The Jester, Aleksei Tsavko, was very amusing and athletic.  Yes, some of the pas de’s were slightly ragged, but then I’ve noticed that at the Royal Ballet recently too (in Giselle).  And the orchestra did make a couple of fluffs that most people probably didn’t notice. Again, sometimes the RB orchestra does that as I am sure we have all witnessed.  This is what happens when you have a live performance by real human beings. Overall I thought the sound very rich for a scaled-down travelling orchestra.  The scenery was lovely and the overall effect, though not superb, was well worth experiencing IMO.
 

I must have seen Swan Lake nearly 100 times in my lifetime from many different companies.  Was this one of the best?  No.  Was this ‘third rate’? Certainly not. My companions yesterday were three friends, one ballet enthusiast and two complete novices.  The former enjoyed herself but the amazement and enthusiasm of the newbies really touched me.  They now can’t wait to go to another ballet – to the point that they were rifling through the theatre’s leaflets on the way out to see if there was anything else coming up.  I believe I will be able to gradually edge them towards Covent Garden, the Coliseum and Sadler’s Wells! The tickets (best seats with a superb view) cost £40.  I think the paying, ballet-loving audience got a bargain.

[Scheherezade]

7 hours ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I went to see Moscow City Ballet’s Swan Lake at Aylesbury last night, and was rather dreading it after the above comments.  But turned out to be quite an enjoyable evening!  I suppose it is better to go expecting poor quality and be pleasantly surprised than the other way round.

 

So glad to hear this, Maryrosesatonapin, both for you - and this so often happens, doesn't it, when your expectations are not too high - and for the company. And lovely that your ballet 'virgins' seem well on the way to conversion.

[Fiz]

I have a mate on Twitter who drives a truck for a living. It’s very hard work and can be deadly dull when he has to wait hours to be unloaded or reloaded. He used the time he was waiting to read and eventually ended up reading Shakespeare with a little encouragement from a mutual friend. He loved it and it has opened his eyes to classical literature and music which he missed at school. He knows my love of ballet and went to see a travelling company. He now loves ballet and has been several more times. It’s never too late.