Last Friday we went to watch a full ballet. Swan Lake is this year's Christmas ballet event. The Singapore Dance Theatre always has major performances during Christmas seasons, by professional dancers. Last year was The Nutcracker.
It is the first time I actually watched a ballet performance with someone, in the past whenever I wanted to go for a ballet performance, no one was interested. Hence I went to watch The Nutcracker on my own last year, although it was not too bad a version.
Initially I asked him if he would be interested to go to watch a ballet performance, and he said why not? He had always wanted to watch musicals, operas, dance, etc. I was so happy when I heard that, so we went to the performance together.
Tchaikovsky had outdid himself again! I enjoyed Swan Lake more than The Nutcracker. The former is a love story, with more advanced dance steps (especially the thirty-two pirouttes, where the ballerina actually stretched one leg up in the air and twirled thirty-two times on tip toe with the remaining leg!), the latter is a Christmas fantasy story, more light-hearted.
Swan Lake is actually a folktale that originated from Germany. The prince came of age so the queen wanted him to choose a wife. He said he would only choose someone he loves. The queen gave him a crossbow as a birthday gift so he and his friends went hunting.
When they reached the lake, there were a flock of swans and cygnets swimming and waddling along. The biggest swan transformed into a beautiful woman. The prince was captivated by her and she told him that under a spell by an evil sorcerer, she had to be a swan by day and a woman by night. Only the vow of undying love could free her from the spell.
The prince started dancing with the woman, until the sorcerer came and fought him off. The prince declared his love for her and promised to free her from her spell.
The next day was the birthday party of the prince. The queen threw him a big bash and lined up beautiful ladies from all over the country as prospective matches, but he was not interested in any. Then the evil sorcerer (disguised as a noble) arrived with his daughter (disguised as the beautiful swan girl).
The prince was very happy and started dancing with her. He then told the queen that this was the girl he wanted to marry. The father of the girl (the sorcerer) asked the prince if he would declare undying love to her, and he said yes. Hence his vow to the swan girl was broken and she could not be freed. Just then, the prince realised his folly and he quickly ran out of the palace.
He went to the lake where he met the swan girl again. She forgave him for his folly. Just then, the sorcerer arrived and they started fighting. The prince managed to defeat the sorcerer and the girl was finally freed. The prince then declared undying love for her and they lived happily ever after.
Tchaikovsky wrote the ballet in four acts. Act I was the coming-of-age of the prince, with the birthday present from the queen. Everyone in court was busy preparing for the prince's birthday celebration.
Act II was at the lake, with the swans, and the prince dancing with the swan girl. Act III was back in the palace at the prince's birthday party, where he met the girl whom he thought to be the one he fell for, and they danced together. Act IV was back at the lake, where he realised his folly, defeated the sorcerer and got his girl.
This was really a great performance! Kudos to all the ballerinas and male ballet dancers! I hope next year's performance would be just as superb!
It is the first time I actually watched a ballet performance with someone, in the past whenever I wanted to go for a ballet performance, no one was interested. Hence I went to watch The Nutcracker on my own last year, although it was not too bad a version.
Initially I asked him if he would be interested to go to watch a ballet performance, and he said why not? He had always wanted to watch musicals, operas, dance, etc. I was so happy when I heard that, so we went to the performance together.
Tchaikovsky had outdid himself again! I enjoyed Swan Lake more than The Nutcracker. The former is a love story, with more advanced dance steps (especially the thirty-two pirouttes, where the ballerina actually stretched one leg up in the air and twirled thirty-two times on tip toe with the remaining leg!), the latter is a Christmas fantasy story, more light-hearted.
Swan Lake is actually a folktale that originated from Germany. The prince came of age so the queen wanted him to choose a wife. He said he would only choose someone he loves. The queen gave him a crossbow as a birthday gift so he and his friends went hunting.
When they reached the lake, there were a flock of swans and cygnets swimming and waddling along. The biggest swan transformed into a beautiful woman. The prince was captivated by her and she told him that under a spell by an evil sorcerer, she had to be a swan by day and a woman by night. Only the vow of undying love could free her from the spell.
The prince started dancing with the woman, until the sorcerer came and fought him off. The prince declared his love for her and promised to free her from her spell.
The next day was the birthday party of the prince. The queen threw him a big bash and lined up beautiful ladies from all over the country as prospective matches, but he was not interested in any. Then the evil sorcerer (disguised as a noble) arrived with his daughter (disguised as the beautiful swan girl).
The prince was very happy and started dancing with her. He then told the queen that this was the girl he wanted to marry. The father of the girl (the sorcerer) asked the prince if he would declare undying love to her, and he said yes. Hence his vow to the swan girl was broken and she could not be freed. Just then, the prince realised his folly and he quickly ran out of the palace.
He went to the lake where he met the swan girl again. She forgave him for his folly. Just then, the sorcerer arrived and they started fighting. The prince managed to defeat the sorcerer and the girl was finally freed. The prince then declared undying love for her and they lived happily ever after.
Tchaikovsky wrote the ballet in four acts. Act I was the coming-of-age of the prince, with the birthday present from the queen. Everyone in court was busy preparing for the prince's birthday celebration.
Act II was at the lake, with the swans, and the prince dancing with the swan girl. Act III was back in the palace at the prince's birthday party, where he met the girl whom he thought to be the one he fell for, and they danced together. Act IV was back at the lake, where he realised his folly, defeated the sorcerer and got his girl.
This was really a great performance! Kudos to all the ballerinas and male ballet dancers! I hope next year's performance would be just as superb!
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