Swan Lake’s Enchanted World
By Brighton Brame, TeenTix KC Press Corps Member
Devon Carny’s stunning adaptation of this classic ballet tells a tale of two lovers in an enchanted world that is trying to tear them apart.
The Kansas City Symphony took Tchaikovsky's music and amplified it through the entire building. The orchestration was graceful enough by itself but with the KC Ballet company's gorgeous performance the whole thing was an amazing experience.
The evil von Rothbart cursed Odette and her maidens to live as swans during the day and return to human form at night. The spell can only be broken by a faithful promise of love. Sigfred will make that promise, but will he keep it?
The title roles are always the hardest with the most scenes and the most complicated choreography. Odette/Odile is one of the most sought after and perfected roles in the ballet world. The dancer must embody the entity of two completely different areas; the soft White Swan or the cunning Black Swan. Sigfred must be powerful as he tour jete’s across the stage. Kaleena Burks and Andrew Vecsereri portrayed these memorable characters exceptionally.
While Burk’s and Vecseri’s parts may have the most technical and emotional hardship, the soul of Swan Lake are the swans themselves. The way they held themselves and the way they moved, like a single embodiment of the swans they were meant to be.
The costumes and set, as always with KC Ballet, were striking. Peter Cazalet, scenic and costume designer, did an excellent job capturing the time period in his costuming. The warm brown tones of the royal court contrasted nicely with the cooler, haunting forest set. A favorite example would be the fog that gave the perfect mystical vibe to the lake scene or the party scene with its many guests.
The view was impeccable. I got the TeenTix KC seats, and wow, I was not expecting that gorgeous view. We were nearly in the center stage mezzanine and could see everything. The tickets were FIVE dollars. Perfect.
All in all, the ballet, the music, the visuals, the TeenTix KC deal, were a ten out of ten. I would 100% go again.