This is an abridged version of a syndicated article by freelance dance writer and critic Graham Watts (Shinshokan Dance magazine (Japan), Tanz (Germany), The Spectator (UK), Bachtrack.com and Gramilano.com).
The article is entitled The State Ballet of Georgia to perform Swan Lake in a unique visit to London.
Despite being one of the world’s most accomplished and thrilling dance companies, The State Ballet of Georgia has never appeared in London during its distinguished 175-year history.
That absence is soon to end as this revered company is to perform Swan Lake –the world’s most treasured ballet – at the London Coliseum from 28 Aug to 8 Sep 2024; and then at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin from 20 to 24 Nov.
Ticket links:
https://londoncoliseum.org/whats-on/swan-lake-state-ballet-of-georgia/ (London)
https://www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie/show/swan-lake-state-ballet-of-georgia/ (Dublin)
In recent times, many outstanding Georgian dancers have performed in the UK, such as former Royal Ballet principal, David Makhateli, his sister Maia, a principal at Dutch National Ballet, and Elena Glurjidze, a leading principal at English National Ballet.
The greatest Georgian dancer of modern times is Nina Ananiashvili. She became the leading ballerina at the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet of Moscow in the early 1980s.
Following the Gorbachev reforms of Perestroika and Glasnost, she was a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre and a guest star in countries all over the world, including at The Royal Ballet in London.
In 2004, Nina returned to Tbilisi as artistic director of The State Ballet of Georgia while continuing to dance. She celebrated 30 years on stage in March 2012 (at the age of 49).
After having performed Swan Lake in Hamburg during a Bolshoi tour, Nina received a non-stop 30-minute ovation.
The ballet’s importance to her is neatly summarised in a comment released at the announcement of her company’s upcoming performances in London:
It was the first ballet that I performed in the Bolshoi Theatre and was my first and final significant performance at American Ballet Theatre.
The star quality that Ananiashvili brought to her own superlative dancing is now vested in the 65-strong company that she has directed for the past 20 years, which is now rated amongst the ten best classical ballet companies in the world.
Although now the most famous of all ballets, Swan Lake was not originally well received when it premiered at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre on 4 Mar 1877.
Despite substantial revisions to the choreography and music, the ballet enjoyed just 33 performances in seven years before being dropped from the Bolshoi’s repertory.
Having achieved great success with Tchaikovsky’s other two ballets, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker both the director of the Imperial Theatres, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, and the chief choreographer, Marius Petipa, were set on reviving Swan Lake at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg.
Tchaikovsky died before this plan could be implemented and so the in-house music director, Riccardo Drigo, revised Tchaikovsky’s score to suit new choreography by Petipa and his assistant, Lev Ivanov.
It is this reworked Tchaikovsky score by Drigo that almost every version of Swan Lake has used ever since.
The revised Swan Lake received its premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre on 27 Jan 1895 with Pierina Legnani in the dual ballerina role.
The reputation and affection for the ballet has grown throughout the 20th century, bringing it into the repertory of every ballet company in the world.
Marking the 75th anniversary of the first performance, the US writer, Anatole Chujoy, summarised Swan Lake as being:
The greatest romantic-classic ballet of all times…the highest point of the curve which represents the history of the source of all ballet as we know it today.
This of Swan Lake is the perfect ballet both for ardent balletomanes eager to see this extraordinary company making its London debut after 175 years, and as an undemanding introduction to this beautiful artform.
Bringing the elegance of movement by world-class dancers together with gorgeous music and sumptuous set and costume designs. It promises to be an unmissable spectacle!
© Graham Watts