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'Swan Lake' takes an acrobatic twist
By Chen Jie (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-09 06:31
The tragic saga begins with an evil eagle that transforms a charming Chinese
girl into a white swan. After a European prince dreams of the horrible scene, he
sets out on a long journey to save his dream lover tumbling, leaping and flying
high, acrobatic style.
Wei Baohua as Prince Siegfried holds up Wu
Zhengdan as Odette in the acrobatic version of "Swan Lake." [China
Daily] |
It's a classic fairytale with a new twist.
In 1895, Petipa and Ivanov's "Swan Lake" premiered in Russia, which later
turned out to be the landmark of classic ballet.
More than a century later, a unique take on "Swan Lake," specially made in
China, will return to the graceful creature's homeland.
The show is the first-ever acrobatic "Swan Lake" produced by Shanghai City
Dance Company and performed by Guangdong Acrobatics Troupe.
Their world tour will start from Moscow and St Petersburg next March. The
troupe will also make stops in Malaysia in May, Japan in July, and Germany,
Hungary and Israel in October.
Before setting off on the world tour, the amazing acrobatics of Odette and
Prince Siegfried will grace the Beijing stage at the Poly Theatre from December
22 to 28.
The main characters of "Swan Lake" are set to awe audiences with almost every
circus trick. In an acrobatic interpretation of the tale, the performers use not
only grace, beauty and acting but also their breathtaking agility, athleticism
and strength. Pole balancing, jumping through hoops of fire, tightrope walking,
walking on balls, jujitsu (a weaponless art of self-defence), and even David
Copperfield-style large scale illusions, are some of the stunts that are almost
seamlessly woven into the story.
When the prince takes a ship across the ocean, sailors perform acrobatics
high in the rigging.
The court guards, dressed in Peking Opera-style robes, walk on stilts in the
Forbidden City, while the evil eagle and his black swans dance on high wires.
The story is enriched, providing room for breathtaking acrobatic stunts and
putting a Chinese touch to the production.
In the acrobatic version, Odette still loves Prince Siegfried only she
expresses herself by dancing on tiptoe and performing the famous arabesque on
the rope and roller skates. She is, after all, an acrobat rather than a
ballerina, who performs awesome stunts as well as graceful ballet movements.
In the ballet version of "Swan Lake," one of the most impressive numbers is
the dance of the four little swans.
The acrobatic version of the show does not disappoint. The four little swans
become four little frogs who dance to the familiar Tchaikovsky musical score.
The most impressive scene is no doubt the acrobatics pas de deux between the
girl and the prince, which won the Golden Clown Award at the 2002 Monte-Carlo
International Circus Festival and is also the core ideal and the very first
inspiration for producing the acrobatic show.
Inspired by this seven-minute programme, Ning Genfu, director of the
Guangdong Acrobatics Troupe, went to the renowned choreographer Zhao Ming with
the idea to create a full-length "Swan Lake" in 2002.
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