When someone says the word ballet and ask you to think of a production inevitably Swan Lake is going to be near the top (if not at the top) of the shows you may think of and this is evidenced by the number of different Swan Lake productions that have already taken place in London so far this year or are planned for the remainder. The State Ballet of Georgia decided to make the most of this for their inaugral production in London.

For those unfamiliar with the story it tells of Prince Siegfried (Oleg Ligai at this performance) who is celebrating his birthday. His mother informs him that he must find a bride at the ball the following day. That night he goes out on a hunt and finds swans on the lake. As he goes to shoot one, Odette (Nino Samadshvili) transforms to a beautiful maiden and she explains that Rothbart (Marcelo Soares) has put a curse on them which means that they are only allowed to take their human form at night. The curse can only be broken if someone swears to love only Odette. The following day at the ball Rothbart turns up with his daughter Odile who bears a likeness to Odette. Siegfried only has eyes for her and declares that he will marry her. Only then it is revealed that this is not Odette and he rushes back to the lake. This version then veers away from the traditional ending of what is otherwise a very traditional production and takes the happy ending route which sees Siegried and Odette survive and in love.

The choreography, including restaging by Alexey Fadeechev and the artistic director for the state ballet of Georgia, Nina Ananiashvili, retains much of the traditional feel and is executed beautifully by all, from the prima ballerina Samadshvili through to the Corps De Ballet. The variety of traditional dances at the opening of the third Act was a highlight and it was this energy that the opening of the show lacked slightly as the merriment of the Prince’s birthday celebrations felt missing. The show has been tightened from its traditional running length of closer to 3 hours to 2 hours and 20 minutes which also helped avoid the pace of the show flagging although avoiding the dancers stopping to take bows after their solos could have cut this down further.

Samadshvili as Odette/Odile danced the role exquisitely, with real elegance as Odette and with real spirit as Odile. Ligai as Prince Siegried played him as a very serene prince, at times floating above it all and whilst technically stunning there occasionally felt a lack of connection. Soares as Rothbart was captivating to watch and danced with real passion and fire.

The set was beautifully designed, aimed to maximise the dance space on this huge stage whilst giving a feeling of grandeur throughout. We were transported easily from the grand ballroom in a palace through to a frozen lake in a matter of moments. The costumes echo this extravagance and whilst the traditional white tutus stun as always it was the traditional historical costumes that set this show apart.

If you like traditional ballet and marvelling at technical ability surrounded by a sumptuous set and costumes then this is a beautiful production of Swan Lake to attend.

Swan Lake is on at the London Coliseum until the 8th September. You can buy tickets and find out more here.

If you like this review you might also like my reviews of Starlight Express, Next to Normal and The Fabulist.