Dancer Q&A: Jurgita Dronina

“This is a gift to the National Ballet” Jurgita Dronina on Swan Lake

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.

What makes this production unique?

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.

What has it been like working with Harrison James as Siegfried?

Working in the studio with Harrison is a pure joy. This process is artistically inspiring because I feel like we hear the music in the same way and we have a shared sense of what we’re looking to portray and achieve through the music and our movements. We have a constant dialogue about how we see the steps and interactions. In every rehearsal, we’re discovering the many layers to each step to make it a full story. Harrison’s honesty, intelligence and hard-working personality is a huge contribution to our constructive work. How inspiring is it to work with Karen in the studio?

Working with Karen has been amazing. She started building this production through teaching the steps that she knew first-hand and then looking for ways to tell the story effectively. She has a very clear idea of what she has in mind and it’s incredibly helpful for us to stay true to the choreography. Karen is incredibly musical and it’s been very helpful to see her demonstrate the musicality she remembers so well. It’s amazing to know that we are keeping the heritage of the traditional choreography alive yet evolving its story further. Karen is also wonderfully open to dialogue where we share our ideas. Talking about and working on the idea of making Odette more human is where she and I really click. There’s a nice creative and working atmosphere in the studio and a valuable sense of understanding, respect and collaborative work towards the common goal.

presents Swan Lake

Building Creativity and Connection

At The National Ballet of Canada, we hope that this new production of Swan Lake, one of the world’s most famous ballets re-envisioned by the iconic artist, Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain, will be a presentation that welcomes and dazzles audiences from across the city, who are both familiar with and fresh to the classic. In this endeavour, we are grateful to welcome Tricon Residential as presenting sponsor, a company that believes in the capacity of great art and great artistry to connect as a city and create community.

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Toronto, Tricon Residential is a rental housing company that owns and operates a portfolio of multi-family rental apartments and single-family rental homes throughout North America. Lead by Gary Berman, President and CEO, Tricon is the most active rental apartment developer in Toronto, with 11 projects totalling more than 5,500 new units in development and operation. “We have always recognized that long-term business success depends on the success of our residents and the communities where we operate," says Berman. "Tricon is a long-term owner and steward of our properties, and our commitment to making a positive and lasting impact in the lives of our residents and local communities underpins our business philosophy.” Thoughtfully weaving art and design into each of its projects, Tricon pays close attention to the needs of residents to create the kind of environment that supports their well-being, and this includes a community that is enriched by the arts. One example is Tricon’s plans for upcoming residential projects that include soundproof music practice rooms and instruments. The company seeks to make an impact in the wider community through art and is heavily invested in arts and various cultural organizations in Toronto. Tricon's residents are invited to experience events and the company also provides annual scholarships for young dancers and musicians to attend Canada’s National Ballet School and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Tricon’s visionary leaders look to produce forward-thinking and enduring residential projects that benefit individuals and families across demographics – working synergistically with communities on high-quality and sustainable design with low environmental impact. They are an inspiring partner for Karen Kain’s new Swan Lake, a project in which an imaginative creative team is collaborating to bring this new vision to life for the landmark world premiere and create a production to be enjoyed by generations. “Without art and music, where would we be as a society?" asks Berman. “They are what makes a city great. They connect us and bring us joy.”

Winter Season: By the Numbers

Thank you for helping us share an inspired and extensive programme of dance in our Winter Season, which included the National Ballet’s firstever Relaxed Performance. Here are the highlights:

41,724

Total Audience Members

7

Performances of Skyward, After the Rain & On Solid Ground & Elite Syncopations

2

Retirement Celebrations

2

Princess Aurora Debuts

Top right to bottom: Sonia Rodriguez's Final Performance. Jillian Vanstone and Harrison James in After the Rain. Artists of the Ballet in On Solid Ground. Tanya Howard in Elite Syncopations. Photos by Karolina Kuras.

12

Performances of The Sleeping Beauty

6

Performances of A Streetcar Named Desire

2

World Premieres

1

Inaugural Relaxed Performance of The Sleeping Beauty Act III for 700 Audience Members