MJLogan

I just saw the 10th anniversary production of Matthew Bourne's "Swan Lake" at Sadler's Wells in London, and recommend it highly. I'd seen the original production on tour in L.A., and remembered it very vividly. It's still one of the most astonishingly fun, gorgeous, sexy things I've ever seen. It runs at Sadler's Wells (www.sadlerswells.com) through 16 January.

Guy Betsy

For those not lucky enough to see it live on stage in London, there is also a DVD version of this ballet.

GoodKarmaGuy

Your ballet suggestion looks fab and might just be the final push that I need to book a LON trip...

However, I thought that you were referencing Les Ballets Trockadero. THIS all-male ballet is also stunning, fragile and beautiful but with intervals hilarious. Worth traveling to see, as well. (I was lucky enough to see it for free in Stern Grove in SF.)

FlyBalletGuy

Did someone mention ballet?

The Trocks are currently in NYC, at the Joyce. I'm going on the 28th ("on duty"). Actually, I have an extra ticket, if someone wants to come as my guest! Second NYC tip - best nights to see NYC Ballet in January are the 12th and the 18th - both great programs - and seats are as low as $15 if you can find seat discounts.

I'm in the minority and I've only seen the Bourne Swan Lake on video, but I wasn't impressed; I found it choreographically thin. Then again, I'm probably the equivalent for a normal audience member of the average restaurant goer coping with a wine snob.

GoodKarmaGuy

This is too funny!

After I posted, I searched the definitive Trockadero site and found them playing at the Joyce! I am thinking 12/28 but that would put in the very last row. (My female PHL cousin and I).

Maybe I should see one with you and the other with her?

I think I saw two different shows listed, both with my favorite, The Dying Swan.

MJLogan

IT's definitely NOT rigorous, classical dance. I saw his "Nutcracker!" in London last winter, and again last week in Costa Mesa with my ex and his family. In both cases, I found the movement very loose and free--I'd call it something other than ballet. Maybe a cross between mime and performance art? The "Swan Lake" has a lot of technically difficult, very athletic movement (the lead swan, especially), but it's still nothing like a standard ballet. So, while I'm crazy about Bourne's work, I can't disagree with your assessment, either. Both his choreography and his company's dancing is inherently messy.

FlyBalletGuy

That's completely fair, MJLogan - I find a lot of times after a performance I'll talk to a friend whose "eyes" I respect and we will have noted the same details in a performance yet come to a completely different assessment. It's where you add up your points. I'm a structure queen, it's what makes me love the more formal choreographers in ballet and outside (Cunningham). When I watched the video of the Bourne with a friend who was a member of Cunningham's company but also strongly influenced by choreographers like Pina Bausch, I was a bit surprised he had similar objections - he felt the dance aspects were too weak. But if you give more points to theatrical vigor, there's much more to like.

To bring this closer to topic for this forum, also the program notes to the video had some interesting comments. This is ca. '98 and program inserts could easily have changed since then, but an awful lot of space in those notes seemed to be spent denying the existence of a homosexual attraction between the Swan and the Prince. Right. I guess he just liked Adam Cooper's wardrobe.

I'm a great lover of the Petipa/Ivanov Swan Lake - or at least I think I am, I rarely get to see a "traditional" version. If I could tell you a company in the world that actually has something reasonably close to a baseline version I'd buy tickets and fly there! Paris? Nope, it's Nureyev's version (which is kinda gay, though. The Prince is awful close to his tutor.) American Ballet Theater? Nope. Von Rothbart (the sorceror) is split into two characters, Evil Purple seducer and Green Swamp Thing. Really. If you see it, at least see Marcelo Gomes as Mr. Purple. It makes no sense whatsoever, but at least it's very hot. NY City Ballet? Nope, different species of bird there entirely. Probably a roadrunner.

I'm going to London in June to see Ashton's Symphonic Variations, The Dream and Scenes de Ballet (and will probably be able to die happy after) but I'll also catch the final performance that season of the RB's production by Anthony Dowell. I live in hope!

CVG's DL Hostage

I saw the original production in London the month that it opened. I was visiting a friend who vaguely knew Bourne, and we went to see it. No doubt about the prince on this end. And men as swans is not a real stretch after you've seen how aggressive and territorial some swans are.

LHR Tim

Beautiful as they are, swans can be evil little b@stards. Give them wide berth.

Thanks for the tip, I've got a theatre token I need to use before the end of the month and this seems to be the best suggestion I've seen in a while! ^