Mariinsky Ballet stars add golden touch to Ballet Philippines' Swan Lake

Eugene Obille, Elena Evseeva, and Evgeny Ivanchenko
with Ballet Philippines' corps de ballet

Russian dancers from the Mariinsky Ballet added a golden touch to Ballet Philippines' latest production of Swan Lake, the company's opener for its milestone 50th anniversary season.

Having the Mariinsky Ballet's first soloist Elena Evseeva in the dual role of Odette/Odille and principal dancer Evgeny Ivanchenko as Siegfried for a very limited engagement meant that their two performance dates were hot ticket items with the opening gala night performance selling out two weeks before the show opened.

Those fortunate enough to secure their tickets were treated to a highly nuanced and lyrical performance of Evseeva as the White Swan Odette. And although she was not that technically daring, the attack she had as the Black Swan Odille was as fiery as her red hair. Never had I seen a ballerina remain in character while doing fouettés with her even accelerating her turns towards the latter half, raising her arms as if casting and putting the guests at the ball in Act III under her spell (and very likely commanding the orchestra to keep up with her).

She found a very capable partner in Ivanchenko considering that he was a late replacement for the injured Andrey Ermakov. The supported pirouettes in the White Swan Pas de deux felt very confident and fluid with Ivanchenko allowing Evseeva to do at most nine turns that never went off axis. There was an overall sense of security in technique while watching these two dance and it allowed me to see them in full character making me more engaged with the ballet's story.

Elena Evseeva strikes a pose
with Raoul Banzon and Rene Banzon

The tall and long limbed Russians may have literally towered over everyone else on stage but Ballet Philippines' stable of dancers raised their level to keep up with the guests' performances.
The cygnets in their popular Pas de quatre were impressive with their well matched lines that kept up with the fast tempo of the orchestra. Victor Maguad as the Jester with his explosive leaps and well centered turns proved that he is currently the technically strongest danseur in the company.

Probably the only thing that let me down with this production (aside from the happy Mariinsky ending that I never really liked) were the folk dances in the third act that lacked the punch and folk flavor that I came to expect from these.

Gigantic swans painting by set designer Eduardo Sicangco

Commendable also are the set design by Eduardo Sicangco and lighting design by Jennifer Tipton that truly worked in great tandem. The sets not only looked grand and textured but felt like it really had weight and was not really hollow. Every time the curtain went up to reveal a set was greeted by an appreciative applause from the audience. The subtle yet sublime lighting accentuated the grandeur of the sets and the intricate costumes by Salvador Bernal and James Reyes without resorting to flashy gimmicks.

The performances with Evseeva and Ivanchenko had the live music accompaniment provided by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Herminigildo Ranera. This is the second time that the PPO has accompanied Ballet Philippines' production of Swan Lake in three years and it seemed that they have taken to heart the lessons they've learned during the previous production although they still have so much to learn.

To be honest, while a live orchestra at the ballet is considered a premium, it actually makes the dancers (and myself to a degree) anxious due to the difficulty of the orchestra to cater to the specific demands of the dancers. Accompanying for dance is a whole different ballgame wherein the requirements of the dancers especially in regards to tempo takes precedence. Having more knowledge in the language of ballet and how a dancer moves will enable conductors and musicians here accompany ballet productions more effectively.

Ivanchenko still gamely signed souvenir programs bearing Ermakov's bio

It is ironic that Philippine orchestras are more adept in accompanying opera productions that occur less frequently compared to ballet productions with live music. The country has three professional ballet companies that mount at least one or two productions with live orchestra per season while there are still no equivalent opera companies in here right now.

The Russians' time with Swan Lake may have already come to pass but the run resumes and wraps up this weekend, September 7 & 8, 2019 featuring the homegrown pairs of Denise Parungao and Eugene Obille, and Jemima Reyes and Victor Maguad.