Moscow Festival Ballet Brings SWAN LAKE to Jorgensen’s Stage, 3/27

The classic ballet "Swan Lake" wings to Jorgensen in the arms of the Moscow Festival Ballet on Thursday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m.

A fleet of fifty dancers will perform this "romantic, circa-1877, four-act work set to Tchaikovsky's haunting score that secured the composer's place as the musical inspiration for ballet. The young Moscow Festival Ballet, now on a four-month-long U.S. tour, was created by Bolshoi Ballet's legendary principal dancer Sergei Radchenko. Radchenko's vision more than two decades ago was to build a new company on Bolshoi and Kirov classical principles and populate it with dancers from across the Russias to perform full-scale ballets."

The story of "Swan Lake" unfolds as Prince Siegfried learns from his mother the queen that it is time to put away childish things and choose a bride. As he ponders this life change from Prince to King, he is drawn to the forest and the lake, where he views a bevy of swans taking human form as night falls. He discovers through their queen Odette that they suffer under the curse of the evil sorcerer Rotbart that can be broken only by the classic cure-all of true love. Siegfried pledges his undying version of such to Odette, who warns him that breaking the troth will cast the swans into the curse for all time. And they dance.

Back at the castle, the festivities begin as guests and dignitaries present brides from major kingdoms for Siegfried's perusal at the ball. Thinking of his beloved, he bypasses all. But then Rotbart himself and his daughter, Odile, disguised to look like Odette except for her black finery, enter. Odile seduces Siegfried into thinking she is for him. When he later realizes his mistake, he rushes back to the lake to reinforce his vow to Odette, despite a raging storm cast by the sorcerer. Ultimately, against all odds, true love prevails and evil is undone.

The ballet employs original choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, with the Act III ball scene created by Yuri Grigorovich. Starring dancers include Ekaterina Egorova, Maria Sokolnikova, Aydos Zakan, Nurlan Kinerbaev, Mikhail Mihkaylov, Yulia Ruchay, Alexander Daev and Evgeny Rudakov.

Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts is located at 2132 Hillside Road on the UConn campus in Storrs. Tickets are $30, $27 and $25, with some discounts. For tickets and information, call the Box Office 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon–Fri at 860.486.4226, or order online at: jorgensen.uconn.edu. Free, convenient parking is available across the street in the North Garage.

To post a comment, you must register and login.