Swan Lake, which is choreographed by Marius Petipa, and Lev Ivanov, is about the power of love. On October 27, 2006 at the Benedum Center, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater opened their 2006-2007 season with a tour de force performance of this ballet production, which is set to the music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Swan Lake is a full-length story ballet in 4 acts.
One of the themes in Petipa and Ivanov’s Swan Lake is the power of love. They successfully present this idea through the costumes worn by the dancers and the dance movements employed in the choreography. Love is so powerful that it can free individuals such as Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette from social obligations and magic spells.
By Mike Diezmos,
Photo Editor
Swan Lake, which is choreographed by Marius Petipa, and Lev Ivanov, is about the power of love. On October 27, 2006 at the Benedum Center, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater opened their 2006-2007 season with a tour de force performance of this ballet production, which is set to the music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Swan Lake is a full-length story ballet in 4 acts.
One of the themes in Petipa and Ivanov’s Swan Lake is the power of love. They successfully present this idea through the costumes worn by the dancers and the dance movements employed in the choreography. Love is so powerful that it can free individuals such as Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette from social obligations and magic spells.
In Act I, the audience is introduced to Prince Siegfried. He is wearing white tights and a light blue military-esque top. He is different from everyone else, who are wearing different gradations and mixtures of cream and beige. His costume is very proper. There are straight edges and the lines which highlight his sleeves are decked with gold linings and glittering rhinestones. His upper class status is revealed through his clothing.
His mother, the Queen, interrupts the party he’s celebrating with his friends. Her emerald-green gown is flowing behind her, and it is gaudier than the prince’s attire. She reminds him of his social responsibility of choosing a bride.
In Act II, the prince thinks about his dilemma. He is inspired to go hunting with his friends. In the forest they separate and go on their own. He spots a swan, who magically transforms to a beautiful maiden.
The maiden’s name is Princess Odette. She is wearing a white, flat tutu, which resembles ruffled feathers. Short-haired fringes also line her open-shouldered inspired top. She is crowned with a small sparkling tiara. Princess Odette is under the spell of the Evil Sorcerer. She is cursed to be a swan by day and woman by night, and only pure love can break the spell.
The Evil Sorcerer is first seen wearing a murky green costume with a cape cut into strips of rotten seaweeds. His costume is bare and ragged.
Love as a strong force is evident in the dance movements, especially in the partnering section in Act IV between the prince and the princess.
Prince Siegfried is tricked into declaring his love to Odile, the daughter of the Evil Sorcerer. Because he swears his love to Odile, Princess Odette will forever stay a swan. The prince runs away to the forest and begs for Princess Odette’s forgiveness. She would rather die than be a swan forever. The prince declares that he will die with her.
In their final dance, the prince lifts the princess several times in the air. He carries her across the stage. Princess Odette moves her arms in a wave-like movement imitating the flapping of a bird. When she is lifted in the air, she is like a bird gliding on thermal. Her back is slightly arched, and her arms are at her sides like spread-out wings. On the ground, her legs are extended in a long elegant line. She holds her stretched position for a couple of seconds, thus showing control and strength. On pointe, her legs are elongated, straight and graceful like a stork.
The costumes and dance movements in Swan Lake support the theme of powerful love. The costumes show how Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette are fettered by social expectations and magic spells. The dance movements of the prince and princess, especially the partnering section, demonstrate how they are able to break free from the chains of their upbringing. They fall in love with each other because they can relate to each other. Love lifts them to the heavens, where they are in bliss. Even though they die in the end, they are still united in the afterlife. True love overcomes any boundaries whether they are social or magical; the power of love surpasses even death.
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