Review: The State Ballet of Ukraine’s SWAN LAKE at The Music Center at Strathmore

An Evening with Swan Lake, presented by Classical Arts Entertainment and performed by the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine at The Music Center at Strathmore, was a fantastic flurry of feathers and flawless footwork, but it needed more finesse in the finale. 

In town for one night only as part of their 10th anniversary Grand National Tour, the dance company presented a rendition of the ballet originally composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and based on choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. CAE’s artistic director, Andrei Litvinov, chose to separate the dance into two acts and skip the prologue, which would have given more conflict and context.   

While the ensemble dancers had a palpable, jovial energy from the start, the Jester was the star of act one: The character is, of course, supposed to be entertaining, but the dancer was genuinely funny and charismatic. He pantomimed even in the background as if he knew he still had the audience’s attention, earning many claps and laughs. 

The production’s costuming elevated the story’s immersion: The corps de ballet’s costumes had fitted, bejeweled vests for the men and long, layered skirts that flowed with every twirl for the women. When the show required a costume change, the transitions were dizzying and flawless; I only witnessed one feather fall from the swans’ skirts. Rothbart’s design leaned into his anthropomorphic magic: Black wings, gaunt black and white face paint, and a feathered headdress accented his stalking, menacing presence on stage.  

The men in the corps were dutiful and technical, supporting and (literally) uplifting, but the women were undeniably the statement piece of the ballet. Their stillness was as impressive as their movement, and their presence even on the sidelines was immersive. 

In act two, prima ballerina Ilona Baitler really brought the drama. Her transformation from Odette to Odile was immensely convincing to the prince and the audience alike. As her feathers changed from white to black, her bashful, soft attitude malted into a cheeky, bold style with a strength maintained and transformed throughout. While her counterpart, principal dancer Sergei Zdanschi, hit every mark with perfect skill, his acting was so regal that his emotions were hard to read. He had the princely poise and elegance down, but I found myself wishing for a more drastic expression of grief and panic when the betrayal of Rothbart and Odile was revealed and he chased after the real Odette. 

With this emotional block, along with the rapid pacing of the resolution, the audience never had a chance to doubt that Siegfried and Odette’s love would prevail in the final confrontation. The valiant fight from the lovers and the prince’s dismembering of the sorcerer’s wing was exciting and brutal but expected, and Zdanschi and Baitler’s final embrace was warming, but not as electric as it could have been with more tension.  

Though Classical Arts Entertainment and the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine did not elicit a full standing ovation from the audience, their performance of Swan Lake had a power and aesthetics that spoke to the great talent of the dancers and emphasized the need for refinement that always plagues the recreation of classics. 

The company is touring the US and Canada with Swan Lake and other ballets until May 20th, 2025. Tickets for the remaining show are linked below. 

Runtime: 2 hours, including 2 acts and a 20-minute intermission 

Photo credit: Swan Lake. Courtesy of the production. 

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