Royal Czech Ballet brings Swan Lake to Hawke's Bay

The Corps de Ballet as the "beautifully costumed and immaculately groomed swans". Photo / supplied

The Royal Czech Ballet is about to visit New Zealand for the first time — and with Swan Lake, the most loved classical ballet of them all.

This masterpiece ballet is presented in two acts and follows the original storyline with traditional choreographic revisions by Marius Pepita.

Fresh off the back of a successful Australian tour, and featuring elite dancers from the Czech Republic and fellow European countries of Italy, Moldova and Ukraine, the Royal Czech Ballet is ready to deliver a performance like no other as they unleash their combined talent on Kiwi audiences who haven't seen international ballet grace our stages since 2019.

The CHB Mail has a double pass up for grabs to see Swan Lake in Hastings at the Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre on Thursday, November 17 at 7.30pm.

Swan Lake is also at Napier's Municipal Theatre on Saturday, November 19 at 7.30pm.

Swan Lake is the love story of Prince Siegfried who falls in love with the "swan princess" Odette. Odette is under a spell, where she is a swan by day who turns into a woman at night. The spell can only be broken by a man who will pledge his love forever.

Swan Lake crosses the world of magic and mystical creatures with that of the real world. It is a story where the virtues of love and forgiveness in the end conquer evil and betrayal.

Here's part of what Aussie reviewer Bill Stephens (OAE) had to say about the Canberra performance on September 22: "Throughout the storytelling is clear and the dancing accomplished, especially from Cristina Terentiev, a superb ballerina who offers two clearly delineated characterisations as Odette and Odile. Soft, elegant and other-worldly as Odette; thrillingly virtuosic as Odile; Terentiev commands the stage.

"Every inch the prima ballerina, she performs every step and gesture of the choreography with studied precision, constantly exhibiting a beautiful line, and concluding her solos with remarkable bows which are a masterclass of their own.

"Terentiev is given excellent support by Nikolay Nazarkevich, himself a tall, elegant dancer as well as a considerate partner.

"Japanese-born Seiyu Ogasawara, as the court jester, provides the razzle-dazzle, thrilling with the sheer energy and virtuosity of his dancing, while Vladimir Statni, as the mysterious Baron Von Rothbart, provides a strong dramatic presence as he prowls the stage in his spectacular scarlet-lined black cape.

"Other soloists impressed in the various specialty dances, particularly in the opening party scene and the ballroom scene. But it was the white scenes on the lake, beautifully performed by the 18 beautifully costumed and immaculately groomed swans, which drew audible murmurs of approval from the clearly impressed capacity audience on the first night."

The performance left "little doubt that while companies continue to mount productions of Swan Lake as respectfully and as carefully as this production by the Royal Czech Ballet, audiences will continue to flock to them to be enchanted", Stephens wrote.

The Details

What: The Royal Czech Ballet production of Swan Lake

When: Thursday, November 17, 7.30pm

Where: Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre

AND

When: Saturday, November 19, 7.30pm

Where: Napier Municipal Theatre

Tickets: Including full show details and itinerary — royalczechballet.com.au