The Swan Lake Ballet by the Tatarstan State Opera

1. Content and Introduction

This is my second report for CKV this year.Our assignment is to visit/see/do/go something/somewhere that is involved with cultural things. Like going to a museum or visit a concert/play for example.For this report is went to see the Ballet Show '' The Swan Lake'' performed by the State Opera of Tatarstan from Russia. I'm going to make a kind of huge review about it. For this review I used the Kunstwijzer ''Toneel'' and ''Dans'' from our ''Palet'' book.

Here's a short review about what I'm going to tell in what chapter.

1. Content and Introduction ... P. 22. Information ... P. 33. Form & Content ... P. 44. Function & My Own Opinion ... P. 6

For this report I only used the internet for the newspaper review. As you can see on the next page.We unfortunately were unable to make pictures from the show itself. So these are also from the internet (except the one in the first page in front of the building).

2. Information

The Swan Lake of State Opera of Tatarstan is the name of the show. Because the dancers as well as the orchestra where from this little place called Tatarstan in Russia. It was held in Theater aan de Schie in Schiedam. I was joined by Laurie. She was first the one who wanted to see it since she's on ballet herself. She asked me because she didn't want to go alone. Figured why not? Haven't seen a ballet show in my life. One has to be the first. The date, 27 December 2011, was set already months ago and they start selling tickets too but they were soon sold out. Luckily we got two tickets almost last minute. From 18.00 till 19.00 there was the free public rehearsal, open for everyone and free of charge. 20.15 the real show began.

No wonder it was that busy though. Many reviews said that the show was a big succes. They were all very positive. The State Opera of Tatarstan also gave more shows in the Netherlands for example in Arnhem, Groningen and Amsterdam.

Here's an review from http://amersfoort.cultuurbewust.nl.

3. Form & Content

The show was held in a so called ''Lijst-toneel theater''. I was sitting on the 6th row up front so I wasn't well aware of the sides since I could just focus on the middle and see everything okay. I did like the room though. It was not that massive or old and antique looking with much decorations. It was more a modern room, there were no distractions.

A thing that really stunned me was the decor and the costumes which kept surprising me. As soon as the curtains opened my mouth dropped open. It was really beautiful. It looked like you were in the Efteling or some old fairytale. They also had customized furniture which was very adorable. Like you just walked in an 18th century castle. The costumes made it feel real. The makeup was also nicely done. I could see it even from the audience area. The light played in on the emotions or scene suiting the moment. For example, ''in the'' castle the lights were yellow like, bright and pretty. At night at the Swan Lake the light was cold, blue, dim and harsh. Music was played by the State Opera of Tatarstan founded in 1966 and consist of around 40 members. As you can see on the picture, the black area in front of the stage is the area where the orchestra sits and plays. The Swan Lake originally composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky had of course its original music. There is no singing nor talking. The whole story is being told by movements. Facial expressions and dancing. The music leads the dancers. The music sets also the mood. Expresses the things a story teller should normally do. By the way the music is you can also tell what kind of scene you're looking at. Like fast and hard music might be a ''horror'' scene.

So it was handy to look up the story once without the story teller. The story is divided into 4 acts. Between act 2 and 3 there was a short break. After all these years, the 200 years old classic story has changed and got many different endings.

In this play, Prince Siegfried had to marry a girl to become king. He doesn't want to marry any of the girls his mother, the queen, appoints him on the royal bal. So he flees to the forest to hunt and calm down. When he sees a flock of swans flying over he follows them to the edge of a lake in the woods and aims his bow. When he has a sight on a swan he wants to shoot until he sees the swan changing into a beautiful young women dresses in a white dress made of swan feathers. He approaches her and the two dance together. The girl tells him that

she is Princess Odette who is kidnapped together with her fellow companions by an evil sorcerer, Von Rothbart, who has bewitched the girls.

'' Swans by day and girls by night. ''

Siegfried falls in love with Odette, swears eternal fidelity to her and wants to seal it by marrying her.This is the only way that the spell of Von Rothbart will break. Von Rothbart appears and Siegfried threatens to kill him but Odette intervenes. If  the magician would die before the spell is broken, the spell will never be undone. The prince returns to the ball at the royal castle.In the castle appears shortly thereafter, Von Rotbart in disguise with his own daughter Odile, who looks identical to Odette, except that her dress is black instead of white. The prince thinks that it is Odette and dances with her. He suggests her to the court and states that he wants to marry her. At that moment he looks around and sees the real Odette now also arrives and realizes that he has made a terrible mistake but it's too late, because his unloyal statement the spell isn't undone.

The main characters are Siegfried, Odette and Van Rothbart

Prince Siegfried, to be king he must first marry. He is a very loyal, sensitive boy with determination. He is madly in love with Odette, whom he really should not marry because she is a swan. Yet he remains loyal to her not the other princesses to choose where he also may marry if he wants. He wants to marry someone he really loves: Odette. Yet he is perhaps a little stupid and very gullible, because he does not see the difference between Odette and Odile, and thus with the wrong marriage.

Odette - beautiful girl that is swan by day and by night a girl. She's like Siegfried innocent and vulnerable. She also wants to marry Siegfried. But unfortunately can't help that Siegfried marries the wrong. This makes them distraught.

Von Rothbart - Angry, fake magician who imprisons Odette and her friends into a swan's body. He let his daughter Odile marry Siegfried. 

I felt very sorry for the prince. As for Odette. It's such an old fashioned story but the way act and dance you really get carried away. Like a love story with a happy end you keep believing it will be alright. Luckily in this play the spell gets undone and Von Rothbart dies.

4. Function & My Own Opinion

The goal of this show was mainly to entertain as you can see on the entry ticket, it says: '' Traditionally is it again in the December months time for classic-

romantic ballet. ''

It was purely to entertain and relive the ancient ways of thinking about real love. For people who might have never seen The Swan Lake this is an eye opener. It makes you think, think again and re-think what you thought about before, during and after seeing it. Not only is it fascinating to see how people can express their emotions by performing on stage. But is also gives you joy by just looking at the dancers who feel like ''gods'' on stage. Who really live in the

moment and glow after a standing ovation by people who watched them for almost 2 hours.'I think it's not only amazingly done, but I respect those dancers. Things they are capable of with their bodies are for most of us just things we can dream of. All the effort, time and hard working days spent just to perform for one night and let around 200 people to have something to think about.The costumes, cast, music, decor and grime were absolutely brilliant. Perfect in one word. I believe The Swan Lake, performed by the State Opera of Tatarstan is a real recommendation and an experience you won't forget that quickly.

I didn't exactly know what to expect. Since I've never been to one, and I didn't even know what the story was about. I figured theatre, something chique, which happens to be my thing. So I dressed up all vintage. And thought of something like in those old movies like where they would go to and spend the whole evening in a huge building with marble walls decorated with angels all over the place. But that was not even close. It was pretty modern. And thinking you're about to see one of the oldest ballet shows you would expect the old atmosphere. But against all odds that wasn't a disappointment after all. There isn't one thing I can come up with now that wasn't satisfactioning me.

Somehow the choreographer sucked the audience into the story like they do in good movies.

Everything according to my opinion was perfect. Haven't witnessed something on dance level so spectacular ever. Unlike a movie, where you can shoot the same scene over and over again. Cut and paste pieces to make it a whole. There is no such thing in en real life show. That's what I envy the most. Their perfection.Some people might have seen better things. Or mistakes I haven't because I'm not an expert. But for me it was lovely. Can't describe it another way. It was entertaining, mind blowing and kept me talking and thinking for days. Isn't that what these things are made for?