BWW Reviews: American Ballet Theatre Presents a New Swan Queen

At the matinee performance of Swan Lake on Wednesday, June 24, 2015, Misty Copeland spread her wings, giving her first New York City performance of Odette-Odile in ABT's Swan Lake, choreography by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, to the glorious music of Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. Costumes and extraordinary sets by Zach Brown and lighting by Duane Schuler embellished the ambiance.

From the moment she arrived on the stage, Copeland owned the territory. With her expressive and energized limbs she flew and enchanted Prince Siegfried, James Whiteside, and Von Rothbart, an evil sorcerer, Alexandre Hammoudi (the man) and Roman Zhurbin (in monster form), as well as the audience. Princess Odette, residing in every fiber of Copeland's fully committed being, expressed meaning with each rippling movement. Her mime made for powerful story telling. Although I have seen this ballet numerous times, Copeland's arm gestures could still surprise. While the choreography called for a series of penchée arabesques, not a single split pencheé appeared superfluous. Her attack was exciting, energy exuding from every pore. Even the company members on stage could not take their eyes off this brilliant star.

In Act II, at the lakeside, the corps de ballet and soloist swans appeared, for the most part, lackluster behind Copeland. In Act III her Black Swan, Odile, was severe and determined, while still charming. In the signature fouettés of this imposter in black, passing herself off as Odette, Copeland chose to change, at a musical cue, to emboîté turns. This was, while unconventional, an interesting choice, adding another element to the expression of this swan in this solo. A ballerina is made of far more than 32 fouetté turns, and Copeland is certainly a ballerina of note, who generously brings beauty, grace, and genuine commitment to every role she dances.

Having become Odette once more in Act IV, Copeland flew across the stage, throwing herself of a cliff to her death, breaking Von Rothbart's power over her. She was followed by Whiteside, who also threw himself off the cliff to his death. The sorcerer is vanquished and his power destroyed. The pair rose together above the scene.

At the end of the ballet, in an homage to African American ballerinas, Copeland's flowers were presented to her by Lauren Anderson, the first African American principal ballerina of the Houston Ballet and by Raven Wilkinson, who, in the 1950s, danced with the Ballets Russes under the condition that she pose as a white woman by painting her face white. But after two years of increasing racial discrimination, including threats in the South, she left Ballets Russes and eventually landed a spot in the Holland National Ballet. Stephanie Dabney, a beautiful principal dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem in the 1970's and '80's, was also in the audience, as were many others of note. The house was entirely sold out and exploding with joy, having experienced this extraordinary swan queen.

I look forward to seeing her grow and explore the aspects of this ballet as she dances it in coming seasons.

Photo credit: Darren Thomas

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