Ballet Review Swanlake at Kongresshaus

Tschaikovsky’s Swanlake premièred in 1877. It tells the story of Prince Siegfried and Odette, who was turned into a Swan by the evil Van Rothborth. Siegfried falls in love with her. At a ball, Siegfried then meets Odette’s evil alter ego Odile, the black Swan. He confuses her with Odette and, captivated by her beauty, confesses his love to Odile while Odette is watching from the window. Siegfried recognizes his mistake when he finds Odette by the lake. There are different variations of how the story ends. The Russian State Ballet opted for a happy ending in which Siegfried and Odette are reunited and live happily ever after.

The Russian State Ballet offered a beautifully choreographed show with tasteful costumes and excellent dancers who impressed the audience with a fantastic performance. Is there anything to criticize? Well, the venue (which I cannot help but keeps reminding me of my old school hall) is arguably less than ideal for these types of shows. The stage could have been bigger and a life orchestra would have rounded the show off nicely.

When: 24 January 2014, 8 pm

Where: Kongresshaus, Zurich