State Ballet of Georgia, Swan Lake Review ★★★★★

From the very first note of the Prologue, Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, played live by the orchestra of the English National Opera under the baton of Papuna Gvaberidze thrilled. Its promise of an emotional, transporting Swan Lake, though, wasn’t entirely fulfilled by dancing which at times felt mechanical and uninvolved.

This traditional production faithfully follows the story of the melancholy prince who falls in love with the swan princess Odette, swears eternal fealty, the only way to break the curse of the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart, but is fooled by Odette’s evil double Odile, the Black Swan, into breaking the vow. Traditionally, there are two possible endings: the tragic one, where both lovers die, and the one where their love defeats evil and they live happily ever after.

State Ballet of Georgia opts for the happy ending.

Any production of Swan Lake stands or falls on two elements: the chemistry between the prince and the lead ballerina in the double role of Odette/Odile and the uniformity of the swans in the white Acts II and IV.

State Ballet of Georgia, Swan Lake. Photo: Sasha Gusov

State Ballet of Georgia's flocks of swans are well drilled and provide the coordinated dancing that creates the magic of the white acts; but at times their dancing felt dutiful and distant and wasn’t helped by changes to the original Petipa/Ivanov choreography that didn’t improve on the template.The ballet was restaged for State Ballet of Georgia by its director, the former Bolshoi and American Ballet Theatre prima ballerina Nina Ananiashivili and the Russian dancer and choreographer Alexey Fadeechev.

Four casts alternate in this 12-day run at the London Coliseum, which marks the company’s London debut. On opening night Odette/Odile was danced by Nino Samdashvili and Prince Siegfried by Oleg Ligai.

Samdashvili has the technique for both roles: pliable back, fluid arms, easy turns and beautiful arabesque lines. Her Odette was soft and long-suffering, her Odile hard and seductive, and she duly produced Odile’s famous 32 fouetté turns.

As Prince Sigfried, the tall and elegant Ukrainian Oleg Ligai, showed a pleasing fluidity in his dancing, with gliding preparations and nice grand jetés; but his prince was a cypher. And reliable partner that he is, there was absolutely no chemistry between him and Samdashvili as either Odette or Odile.

Elsewhere the quality of dancing was variable, but I was much taken by soloist Tomone Kagawa in both the pas de trois of Act I and the vivacious Neapolitan dance of Act III. Her smile appeared genuine as if she was enjoying her dancing.

Vyacheslav Okunev's sets and costumes, placing the action somewhere in the early Middle Ages, are richly detailed, the vaulted ballroom of Act III particularly impressive; and for all that she had little to do, the Queen Regent (Ina Azmaiparashvili) cut a powerful figure.

State Ballet of Georgia, Swan Lake. Ina Azmaiparashvili as the Queen, Oleg Ligai as Siegfried. Photo: Sasha Gusov

Swan Lake, one of the most often performed ballets the world over, needs to create complete suspension of disbelief, so that the audience becomes invested in its central story with (whisper it…) all its improbabilities. Sadly this production, handsome as it is, doesn’t quite take you there.

Swan Lake continues at the London Coliseum until 8 September. To see all casts click here