Swan Lake Studies 154-165

154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165 (in the “Swan Lake” series). Most of us know Odette’s adagio with Siegfried only as a pas de deux. For its choreographer Lev Ivanov, it was - as seen in these photographs - what was known as a pas de deux à trois: an adagio in which the ballerina was partnered by alternating men, Siegfried and his trusted companion Benno.

The pas de deux à trois wasn’t a new genre: witness “Le Corsaire”. Curiously, since 1989, the pas de deux à trois format has often been revived in modern productions of “Corsaire” - Medora is partnered by both Conrad and his slave Ali - whereas the same format has been banished from all “Swan Lakes” since c.1963, except in Alexei Ratmansky’s 2016 Zürich production. Here I use freeze-frame photographs from both the 1959 film of Margot Fonteyn, Michael Somes, and Brian Ashbridge and Ratmansky’s production, with Viktoria Kapitonova (Odette), Alexander Jones (Siegfried), Wai Chen (Benno), with the eight child-swans.

I show here only the adagio’s opening phrases. Immediately, however, a few points arise. First, Ivanov did not add Benno here to simplify Siegfried’s partnering load: it’s still only Siegfried who lifts Odette and supports her in pirouettes.

Second: Benno is present only in the opening and closing sequences of the adagio. So why is he there at all? He is, I’d say, part of the adagio’s formal ritual: part of the mysterious process whereby Odette gradually learns to trust the male sex.

Third: although it’s fascinating how Siegfried and Benno work as a team in partnering her, she seems never really to see Benno. Margot Fonteyn once observed that, while all her other roles had detailed reality for her, “Swan Lake” existed on a far larger and more mysterious level, so that the Prince was really just Man. Well, Benno is an aspect of the Prince’s masculine aura, just as the corps of swan-maidens and swan-children are part of Odette’s.

It’s interesting that the adagio for Odette begins and ends with finger fouetté turns. Were Ivanov and Petipa intending a connection to the thirty-two fouetté turns that Odile would dance in the ballroom? Pierina Legnani, St Petersburg’s first Odette-Odile, had already become famous for fouetté turns since 1893. Odette’s fouettés are supported; the first one is just a transition into first arabesque, which in turn declines into penchée.

Many Russian ballerinas of recent decades make Odette’s penchée highly emotional, throwing both their arms forward in it. I’d better say now that I invariably dread this excess; Odette at first is surely very restrained indeed. But it’s impressive that she opens with first arabesque and penchée: positions that at once expose a ballerina’s line. (You may remember that Tamara Karsavina told the young Antoinette Sibley that Odette was the most purely classical role of all.) That Odette is showing us her purity rather than her emotion surely brings us closer to the dramatic heart of this adagio.

And from purity we perhaps infer chastity: this adagio may be the ultimate choreographic statement of a woman’s conflicted feelings about retaining or losing her chastity by trusting a man. I note that Fonteyn does not even decline her head in this penchée. Svetlana Beriosova, however, once remarked that, whereas Aurora in “The Sleeping Beauty” should not decline her head, that was appropriate to Odette; and I’ve seen Odettes who, simply by lowering their heads slowly and raising them at the climax of the penchée, have added a beautiful touch of romantic sorrow, without changing the line of the arms.

Arabesques - fully extended line - become Odette’s first trademark. She moves into more arabesques with Benno; and others when she returns to Siegfried. I find it fascinating that Fonteyn ends this opening sequence with an arabesque in which she raises both her arms en couronne: a motif that Balanchine gives to all three muses in “Apollo” (1928).

The other trademark of the opening of this adagio, for me at least, used to be Odette’s walk. As performed by the Royal Ballet for decades, it seemed a weighted, slow walk, particularly striking when walking on the diagonal towards downstage right - as If finding it hard to pull away from the gravitational force of Rothbart’s corner, upstage right. This may entirely be part of a bygone Royal Ballet style; I have seen it sometimes return since the 1970s, but infrequently. I can only say that it deepens the drama.

For those who are more interested by individual dancers than by choreography, I should say that it is unfair of me to alternate stills of Fonteyn at her peak as the world’s most famous ballerina with Viktoria Kapitonova in the world premiere of the Ratmansky Zürich production. I’ve seen several highly experienced Odettes give far more glacial performances than Kapitonova when dancing in the world premieres of new “Swan Lake” productions. My main interest in this series is Ivanov’s choreography, although I certainly try to understand what Fonteyn, with her wealth of Odette experience (at the time of these photographs, she has been dancing the role for over twenty-two years), understood about “Swan Lake” text and style.

Sunday 6 September

164: Odette (Margot Fonteyn) commences her adagio with Siegfried (Michael Somes), observed (and soon joined) by Benno (Bryan Ashbridge), while the corps of swan maidens is supported by other huntsmen. Royal Ballet film at Covent Garden, 1959.

165: In Alexei Ratmansky’s 2016 realisation of the 1895 Maryinsky Ivanov-Petipa production for the Zürich Ballet, Odette (Viktoria Kapitonova) prepares her first turns as supported by Siegfried (Alexander Jones) and observed by her soon co-partner Benno (Wai Chen), immediately framed by the eight junior or student swan-maidens, and more distantly framed on either side by the corps of adult swan maidens with their huntsmen partners.

166: Odette (Fonteyn) prepares to turn. Royal Ballet, 1959

167: Odette (Kapitonova) begins the supported arabesque that will become penchée in the arms of Siegfried (Alexander Jones). Alexei Ratmansky 2016 production for the Zürich Ballet.

168: And Odette (Fonteyn) prepares her first arabesque (soon to become penchée) in the arms of Siegfried (Michael Somes). Royal Ballet, 1959.

169: Please observe the classical purity of Odette’s penchée in Margot Fonteyn’s 1959 performance. When you see an Odette throw both arms forward in this penchée, you know you’re not seeing Lev Ivanov’s choreography any more.

170: Benno (Wai Chen) now becomes Odette’s assistant partner, observed by Siegfried (Alexander Jones). Behind them, the eight student swans begin to change their arc formation. Alexei Ratmansky’s 2016 Zürich Ballet realisation of Lev Ivanov’s 1895 choreography.

171. Odette never seems to see Benno as he partners her; nor has she yet looked remotely directly at Siegfried. The classical purity of her line remains firm, one may say chaste.

172. Although his friend Benno now partners Odette, Siegfried watches: an important part of his growing love for her.

173: Siegfried, now replacing Benno as Odette’s partner, frames or amplifies her arabesque gesture forward into the beyond.

174. The formal partnering ritual maintains classical strictness and yet is charged with austere drama. No sentimental Soviet historionics are needed.

175. Odette briefly holds a chaste arabesque balance before Siegfried. Their pas de deux à trois is continually charged by imagery of her independence or withdrawal from him.