Rating: 
Summary: Nicely done, except for the choreography!
Review: This is a very new twist on a very traditional ballet. It is very well done in most regards except for one thing: the choreography by Matthew Bourne is disappointingly insipid and not up to modern standards. It is a pity to have some of the best dancers in the world and a good concept and waste it on inferior choreography.
The music is, of course, some of the best thematic music written, but it was prerecorded for the performance and suffers from lack of presence.
If you must have something different in a 'Swan Lake" and you want a meager sample of Adam Cooper, this will do.
Rating: 
Summary: An extraordinary reworking of the story
Review: A startling development in ballet. While it shows Bourne's theatrical leanings it also shows off the brilliance of this new crop of theatrical choreographers including Bourne, Smuin and Morris; and their refusal to be circumscribed by tradition.
Rating:
Summary: Adam Cooper is incredible
Review: Adam Cooper clearly is at his best and sets himself as totally elite from rest of the dances with his inspiring performance. Every move is completed with perfection and all are carried through to their finality. Wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: A Must See Ballet that does away with the stuffiness
Review: Adventures In Motion Pictures have created a masterpiece of modern ballet. It's not boring classical ballet but a contemporary piece which is well executed by the company. It's true to say that the male swans may appear to give it a gay theme, but when you consider that the prince is falling in love with a swan, it's the love story that counts, not the sex of the swans. The finale is a masterpiece of heartstring tugging and will leave you clutching a kleenex and sobbing. Superbly directed and danced, this show has won many awards on stage and justly so. This film will not do the stage show justice, but is a taster for what you would see if you are lucky enough to get tickets. I say that you should BUY IT NOW!
Rating:
Summary: This Lives Up To The Live Performance!!!
Review: After having to wait what seems like forever for this production to be released here in the states and on DVD,all I can say is...WOW!I was quite fortunate to have seen this production in London.It took myself and my companions by storm.Friends who don't like ballet were stunned that it was not all tutus and prima ballerinas.When it was available on video in this country I snapped up a copy and was pleased that my memory had not failed me.When I ran across the DVD,I picked it up.To my happy suprise the DVD,whether it be from the enhance picture or sound it is so incredibly true to seeing it live.Even the people who I've shown it to who are not ballet devote's,love it.YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY IN YOUR PURCHASE OF THIS!!!
Rating:
Summary: Imaginative and original
Review: At first I was skeptical about watching this DVD, but once I saw the first act I was glued to the screen. First of all, you get a feeling that there's a real story being told, not just a bunch of dancers hop, skip, and jumping around. You grasp emotions behind concepts otherwise buried in a lot of pirouettes and whathaveyous, not that the original is bad, I'm a fan of Swan Lake, but this version knocked my socks off. The fact that the swans are men fits entirely; swans are proud creatures with power and strength behind their elegance, and this is shown very well in the choreography, not frail sickly creatures. The themes appeal simply because many people can relate to them, rather than the classics which very few people in this day and age can learn to appreciate. But even fans of the classic can find something worth watching in this production, be it the innovative style, story-line, or the 40's-50's theme.
Rating:
Summary: superior
Review: exquisite, unique, the penultimate ballet...
Rating:
Summary: If it's not one thing, it's your mother!
Review: Finally, Matthew Bourne's innovative production of Tchaikovsky's SWAN LAKE is available on DVD. This is not a camp send-up of the balletic war horse, but a modern, freshly imagined telling of a tale of enchantment, betrayal, disenchantment, and release. What most people already know about this production is that the swans and cygnets are performed by male dancers, that the choreography emphasizes the aggressive rather than the graceful movements in swans' repertoire, and that the story is heavily freighted with Freudian implications as it shows a young prince's efforts to break free of his mother's hold (she's part Merry Widow and part Cruella deVil). The viewer who tries to analyze plot points too carefully is heading toward frustration and confusion. (For those who just can't let it alone, there's a helpful on-screen synopsis you can jump to whenever you need it.) The best way to enjoy this production is by focusing on the choreography and the dancing itself. Adam Cooper's nameless Swan is powerful, persistent, and unapologetic. He could be the prince's alter ego, his embodied desires, the id, or just about anything else you'd want to ascribe to him. He woos son and mother with equal conviction. Besides the moments when Cooper is on stage/screen, the choreographic hightlight of this production for me was the dance of the cygnets (pas de quatre). This is a moment of levity in every production of SWAN LAKE, but more so here where the mischievous antics and curiosity of the cygnets are played for all they're worth.The other thing worth commenting on is the quality of the filming of this live performance. I have usually been disappointed by ballets on film--presentation is often static, or feet and hands get cut out of the picture, or the camera goes in for a close-up at a point when something significant is happening in the choreography. Given the trade-offs, Adventures in Motion Pictures has done an excellent job of capturing all the key choreography while creatively managing close-ups, transitions, and montages. The colors are rich and expressive (the dance of the swans by the lake is bathed in a haunting nocturnal blue). And best of all, the film is completely free of the annoying halos and bizarre shimmerings that always seem to make their way into filmed stage productions.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: First of all, Adam Cooper can do no wrong. So you realize I'm already biased in favor of this production. I've been wanting to see this having missed it on stage - and am not disappointed I purchased the DVD. What a moving interpretation of Swan Lake. Of course, Swan Lake is very moving, but the modern twist added an interesting element as did Adam playing the swan. Even if you are not a fan of ballet, the music will move you.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: First of all, Adam Cooper can do no wrong. So you realize I'm already biased in favor of this production. I've been wanting to see this having missed it on stage - and am not disappointed I purchased the DVD. What a moving interpretation of Swan Lake. Of course, Swan Lake is very moving, but the modern twist added an interesting element as did Adam playing the swan. Even if you are not a fan of ballet, the music will move you.
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