“This is a gift to the National Ballet” Jurgita Dronina on Swan Lake What makes this production unique?
Principal Dancer Jurgita Dronina lists Swan Lake as one of her favourite ballets and of its leading role, she says, “it’s one of the roles I’ve performed the most.” In fact, Jurgita has performed in nine previous productions of the iconic ballet across Europe and Asia. The National Ballet of Canada’s newest version, directed and staged by Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain, will be Jurgita’s tenth Swan Lake and her first in North America. How universal is Swan Lake and why do you think it has endured?
Love is at the heart of the story. Swan Lake has a lot of dancing in it for everyone, the score is glorious, the story has beautifully dramatic moments and this particular version that Karen is staging has a gripping, heart-breaking ending. Swan Lake has choreography from 1895 in most productions, so the audience expects certain structures and patterns as well as some dazzling dancing to showcase technical ability. I am fascinated by how this ballet is still a challenge for today’s extremely technical dancers, 127 years later, and yet the uniqueness of Swan Lake is that it never gets old. There’s so much freedom to incorporate one’s own artistry through arms and body language.
10
Karen has retained a lot of choreography from Erik Bruhn’s staging and it’s so inspiring to witness her cementing Bruhn’s legacy with her own through this production. Every large classical ballet company has a Swan Lake in their repertoire, but not necessarily their own. I see this Swan Lake as a gift to the National Ballet, to have this singular version for many generations to come. But with all the traditional steps, we also have the Prologue, Act III and Act IV with completely new choreography. In my eyes, this production truly does justice to the story from the very beginning right to the end. What is the vision for Karen’s staging?
Odette is a woman, a young, adventure-seeking woman who is captured by a predator and cursed to be a swan by day and woman by night. Karen is trying to portray how human all the captured women are, how their interactions are real, fragile and vulnerable, yet also showing that these women are strong. Taking this more human approach into the movement and into the relationships on stage between the characters has been exciting and artistically fulfilling. How do you approach the physicality of the role?
As much as the steps are traditional and require strong physical preparation, what is fascinating for me to watch and dance are the arms. Everything comes through the arms – Odette’s feelings, her thoughts, her relationship with Rothbart and the other captured women and her dialogue with Siegfried – and the interpretation of the music. The arms are the mirror of her soul.
What is your approach to Odette?
The second act is about Odette, transforming from a swan to a woman at night, and her friends and their connection to Rothbart. She discovers a gradual change when she meets Siegfried, as they build up trust and fall in love. There’s a spark of hope that maybe Siegfried can break the curse by swearing eternal love to her. I also think that Odette has never experienced true love prior to being captured, so when they meet it feels honest and truthful. Through the famous Act II pas de deux, they establish a connection and Odette has complete trust in Siegfried with an understanding that they will fight for their love. The pas de deux is very difficult physically and emotionally, with soft and controlled movements, while always portraying strength and that sense of hope. And Odile? In this production, Odile is a creation of Rothbart’s, a magical trick that he has created at the masked ball to trick Siegfried into swearing eternal love for her and that way leaving Odette a swan forever. I don’t feel like a “swan” in Act III; Odile must resemble Odette, the woman Siegfried fell in love with, enough so he believes it is Odette. He wouldn’t fall in love with something evil or something opposite to Odette. But still, he is fascinated by the presence Odile carries: her confidence, seductiveness, fire and panache. I believe Siegfried sees her as a whole woman, with all the qualities of Odette plus the character traits that he falls in love with through Odile. Instead of a duality, it's a very thin line between the two.
The National Ballet of Canada
Preview Spring 2022
