Coming upon the Arnoff Center for the Arts, the contemporary architecture of the building is the intriguing first impression for a passer-by. Last weekend, the center was a hive of activity as the Cincinnati Ballet performed one of the most beloved and timeless love stories, Swan Lake.
On the last day of the weekend’s performance, Sunday, Oct. 25, the theater was near capacity, an exceptional feat for a Sunday matinee.
When the curtains rose, glittering leaves surrounding the stage and an backdrop showing the forest’s depth were breathtaking.
The dancers were on stage as the curtain rose to reveal their dazzling array of peasant costumes, which are normally plain earth tones.
Prince Siegfried and his friends joyously danced around the stage, exhibiting excellent Corps de Ballet work.
The first notable performance was by Liang Fu as Benno, Prince Siegfried’s friend. Fu has incredible strength and executes his pirouettes forcibly and without fail. Fu performed a solo and danced on the same level as principal dancers although he is only a member of the Corps de Ballet.
After the friends danced together, Prince Siegfried’s mother interrupted to congratulate him on turning 21 she also presented him with his gift, a crossbow. She also reminded him that it would soon be time to marry. The prince, who is not in love, protested.
That night, the prince goes out to hunt with his new crossbow. He comes across a swan that turns into a beautiful woman: Odette, the queen of the swan maidens. She was turned into a swan by the evil Baron von Rothbart who uses a spell to turn young maidens into swans and holds them captive. Seeing the prince, Odette starts to flee but he drops the crossbow, assuring her that he will not hurt her.
In this first encounter, Odette and Prince Siegfried dance together and fall in love. Principal dancer Ogulcan Borova danced the role of Prince Siegfried and principal dancer Janessa Touchet danced the role of Odette. Together, they formed a cohesive unit, moving seamlessly through the intricate steps. Their facial expressions and the tenderness of their movements showed the audience that they were irrevocably in love.
The next day, there is a grand ball encouraging Prince Siegfried to choose a wife. Princesses come from other countries to dance for him, but he keeps his promise to remain faithful to Odette and rejects each princess. Then, von Rothbart appears with his daughter Odile who is bewitched to look like Odette. Touchet, in addition to performing Odette, delivers a triumphant performance as Odile. She easily flies through 32 fouettés, turns done in succession, one of the most difficult moves a dancer can accomplish. She adds her own double turns and ends with a mischievous smile.
Successfully tricking Prince Siegfried to declare his love for Odile instead of Odette, von Rothbart and Odile flee the stage laughing. Siegfried finds Odette, who is consumed with grief because the swan maidens spell cannot be broken since the prince was unfaithful. Once Odette and Siegfried are reunited, Odette forgives him when von Rothbart bursts onto the stage. A fight ensues and Odette and Prince Siegfried throw themselves off of a cliff into turbulent waters so they can be together in death, finally breaking the spell.
“Swan Lake” requires 24 Corps de Ballet members, which Cincinnati Ballet does not have. In order to perform this ballet, Cincinnati worked with BalletMet Columbus.
The next performance by Cincinnati Ballet will be the Nutcracker showing from Dec. 17 through Dec. 27. Tickets are $30 each.
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