Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake / Makarova, Dowell, Royal Ballet Covent Garden

Rating:
Summary: Classical Ballet at its Greatest
Review: This was the first "Swan Lake" I ever saw and one of the greatest revelations of my life. The story of the enchanted Swan Queen and the prince who fails to save her because of the interjection of the evil sorcerer is absolutely incredibly set to ballet with the Royal Ballet's matchless dancers. In the leading dual role of Odette\Odile, Natalia Makarova is spellbinding. As Odette, her fragility and tenderness--not to mention her impeccable dancing--always bring a catch into my throat, and her resemblance to a swan is remarkably realistic; as Odile, she is a sinuous, leering seductress who makes me tremble as she triumphantly entraps her helpless partner. The said partner, Anthony Dowell, is a truly remarkable Prince Siegfried. His famous cleanliness and precision of movement cannot be mistaken or ignored, and his dramatic abilities are prodigious. This pair is so wonderful that they dominate the ballet--the first-act dances never seem boring, but once the connection is made between the leading couple I am so enthralled that I can hardly sit through anything else from an eagerness to see them again. I must admit, though, that the swans' dances are the most exquisite example of corps de ballet dancing that I have ever seen. The first time I saw this video, my heart and breath were stopped; now, about a hundred times later, it still has the power to move me profoundly, although I know it by heart. This video is a true example of classical ballet at its greatest and a wonderful first "Swan Lake."

Rating:
Summary: Classical Ballet at its Greatest
Review: This was the first "Swan Lake" I ever saw and one of the greatest revelations of my life. The story of the enchanted Swan Queen and the prince who fails to save her because of the interjection of the evil sorcerer is absolutely incredibly set to ballet with the Royal Ballet's matchless dancers. In the leading dual role of Odette\Odile, Natalia Makarova is spellbinding. As Odette, her fragility and tenderness--not to mention her impeccable dancing--always bring a catch into my throat, and her resemblance to a swan is remarkably realistic; as Odile, she is a sinuous, leering seductress who makes me tremble as she triumphantly entraps her helpless partner. The said partner, Anthony Dowell, is a truly remarkable Prince Siegfried. His famous cleanliness and precision of movement cannot be mistaken or ignored, and his dramatic abilities are prodigious. This pair is so wonderful that they dominate the ballet--the first-act dances never seem boring, but once the connection is made between the leading couple I am so enthralled that I can hardly sit through anything else from an eagerness to see them again. I must admit, though, that the swans' dances are the most exquisite example of corps de ballet dancing that I have ever seen. The first time I saw this video, my heart and breath were stopped; now, about a hundred times later, it still has the power to move me profoundly, although I know it by heart. This video is a true example of classical ballet at its greatest and a wonderful first "Swan Lake."