"Swan Lake" is perhaps the only classical work known not only to ballet enthusiasts but also to those who have never been to the theater or heard classical music. The plot is based on an ancient legend about the love of Prince Siegfried and the swan maiden Odette, who is cursed by an evil sorcerer. The love story was set to music by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, with the ballet's premiere taking place on March 4, 1877, under the direction of Julius Wenzel Reisinger at the Bolshoi Theater. However, the nobility and critics found the music too "boring" and "difficult to perceive." Despite this, the ballet outlived them all and, over more than 100 years of its stage existence, became a globally recognized masterpiece of Russian classical choreography, with its music entering the world cultural treasury.
Traditionally, the leading roles in the ballet are performed by the best dancers of the troupe. This rule also applies to the Kyrgyz stage. Thus, in the first production of "Swan Lake" in 1949, the roles of Odette-Odile and Prince Siegfried were danced by the People's Artist of the USSR Bibisara Beishenaliev and the People's Artist of the Republic Ulan Sarbagishev. The scenography was created by the outstanding theater artist of the USSR Anatoly Arefyev. In 1965, a second edition of the ballet was presented, choreographed by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Mikhail Messerer, which is familiar to audiences who have attended the ballet over the last half-century.
The third edition was brought to life by the People's Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic Maken Sydykbai with costume designer Kubandyq Omurov. They decided to completely change the costumes and decorations, and to revitalize the ballet not only through new design but also content: both the choreography and the accompaniment were reformed - it was decided to reveal previously unperformed pages in the score for the audience. The realization of this concept was entrusted to a new generation of artists: on stage appeared Madina Minzhilkieva and Aizhamal Abdrakhmanova (Odette-Odile), International Competition laureate Marat Sydykov, and Talgat Beyshkeyev (Prince Siegfried), Eles Arykov, Saadi Imankulov, Aibek Temiraliyev (Jester), Honored Artist of the Republic Dosmat Sadyrkulov, and Alexander Bryukhanov as the Evil Genius. As a result, the audience admired not only the lush decorations of the castle and garden, where Prince Siegfried celebrated his birthday, transporting them to the Middle Ages along with the characters' costumes, but also the stunning choreography. Through the language of dance, the trustfulness and passion of the young prince and the animal cruelty of the Evil Genius, as well as the graceful purity of Odette, were masterfully conveyed. The soloist managed to embody both the image of the enchanted beauty and the traits of a swan - from elegance and delicacy to the slight awkwardness that these birds exhibit when they have to move on land rather than swim or fly. A worthy reflection was also Odile, the Black Swan, who replaced the prince's beloved. As tender and modest as Odette is, Odile is filled with passion and vitality - this is emphasized not only by the choreography but also by the Spanish-style costumes, as she appears in the castle at the ball surrounded by her entourage, along with the embodiment of the Evil Genius. A notable directorial choice was the line between the Genius and Siegfried's mother: while the prince and the sorcerous double Odile dance their part, they negotiate through plastic movements. It seems that the characters have seen each other before and have long agreed on how to form a beneficial alliance between the representatives of the aristocracy and the representatives of sorcery. Against this backdrop, the prince appears as a hostage of circumstances, accidentally falling in love with a girl not destined for him... An extraordinary twist was also the ending of the ballet: the classic version, where both the queen of swans and her beloved perish, was revised. How? One can find out by attending the performance.
- "Swan Lake" is the calling card of the Bolshoi Theater, despite being showcased on many stages around the world. Even those who have never been to the opera and ballet theater are familiar with its musical fragments: they are actively used in advertising. The "Dance of the Little Swans" has spawned a large number of parodies and mentions in feature films and cartoons.
- For residents of the former USSR, whose adult lives coincided with the perestroika, the ballet has quite a sinister significance: during the August coup in 1991, all television channels in the country broadcast it. Therefore, "Swan Lake" became a symbol of anticipation for something alarming and significant for many. - "Swan Lake" inspired renowned director Darren Aronofsky to shoot the psychological thriller "Black Swan," starring Natalie Portman and Winona Ryder. The intrigue revolves around the distribution of roles: the parts of Odile and Odette are always performed by the best soloists, and the competition for them in every company is fierce.
- The longest broadcast of the ballet from the Bolshoi Theater, directed by People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Grigorovich, took place on January 25, 2015. At that time, the events on stage were seen in more than 1000 cinemas around the world. It differed from the classical concept by featuring two pairs of double soloists: the White Swan (Odette) - the Black Swan (Odile), the "White" prince (Siegfried) and the "Black" (Evil Genius).
Photo by Anton Selov