Boston Ballet
Citizens Bank Opera House
Boston, MA
February 27 and March 9, 2025
Swan Lake
Carla DeFord
The Boston Ballet production of Swan Lake, with choreography adapted by Mikko Nissinen after Petipa and Ivanov and featuring sets and costumes by Robert Perdziola, recently returned to Boston Ballet after a three-year hiatus, and it was definitely not too soon to see it again.
Victorina Kapitonova, a ballerina with exquisite sculptural lines starred on opening night, February 27. If her emotional states were sometimes a bit opaque, in Act 2 she gave an innovative twist to a familiar gesture. When Odette lowers herself in penché toward the prince, who is opposite her on one knee, her face nearly touches his. That pose usually looks rather static, but Kapitonova made it seem like the prelude to a kiss. When Von Rothbart came out of the shadows to reassert his power over her, she drew back in shock, but the implication was that she was willing to trust Siegfried even before making the decision to ally herself with him in the Act 2 coda.
Victorina Kapitonova and Sangmin Lee
in Mikko Nissinen’s “Swan Lake”
Photo by Thiek Smith.
On March 9 Ji Young Chae was Odette-Odile. Aside from her spectacular musicality and technique, especially memorable were moments when she, as Odile, imitated Odette by hiding her head under her wing while slyly glancing at the prince, and then, with a wicked smile, undulating her arms before collapsing to the floor. The whole sequence said (in effect), “See, I can do all of Odette’s tricks. That tragic demeanor of hers is nothing but a contemptible hoax, and what a fool you are to be taken in by it.”
Other ballerinas I have seen try to seduce Siegfried into believing Odile is Odette. Chae did the opposite; by satirizing her rival she clearly stated that she was not Odette, but the prince, being oblivious, failed to get the message. More subtly, she insinuated that only the hopelessly naïve believe in what Odette purports to represent, that is, love and truth. Everyone else knows that power and intrigue rule the world, as she and Von Rothbart were about to demonstrate. That profound cynicism seemed to reach beyond the plot of the ballet to offer an indirect comment on the current political climate. When asked about her acting technique, Chae said, “I just go for it.” That she was having fun with the role was obvious, but her interpretation also managed to deliver the kind of stunning insight I go to the ballet to experience. Brava!
Ji Young Chae in Mikko Nissinen’s “Swan Lake”
Photo by Brooke Trisolini
The two Siegfrieds I saw: Sangmin Lee on February 27 and Jeffrey Cirio on March 9, were both admirable technicians, with huge jumps, rock-solid overhead lifts, clean cabrioles, and well-controlled jumps into extended arabesques. As actors they pulled out all the stops when expressing their remorse and grief at the end of Acts 3 and 4. What I missed was more nuanced acting. For example, the moments when Siegfried cradles Odette in his arms during the Act 2 grand pas de deux give him a chance to show that he empathizes with her. Here are Cesar Corrales and Francesca Hayward performing them in a Royal Ballet clip:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/077BgT3h6As?si=atALH6mJh7a4Fsc5&start=399&end=438
More clearly communicated compassion would have enhanced the prince’s characterization as well as the love story.
Lasha Khozashvili in Mikko Nissinen’s “Swan Lake”
Photo by Thiek Smith
A few dancers in secondary roles deserve a shout-out. Lasha Khozashvili as Von Rothbart on February 27 had stratospheric leaps and an impressive grand jeté manège in Act 2. Equally memorable were his death throes, complete with rolling on the floor and agonized heart clutching. He has been with Boston Ballet since 2010, and his maturity as an actor is an asset to the company. As Von Rothbart on March 9, Daniel Rubin’s arched-back positions when Odette, in an overhead lift, put an end to him, perfectly conveyed a soul in torment. (Odette manages to kill Von Rothbart in this production by the sheer force of her goodness, a turn of events that certainly tests one’s ability to suspend disbelief.)
(l-r) Alexandra Heath, Daniel R. Durrett, Lia Cirio,
Wesley Miller, and Emma Topalova
in Mikko Nissinen’s “Swan Lake”
Photo by Thiek Smith
Also notable were Louise Hautefeuille in the Spanish divertissement on February 27, who really showed flamenco spirit and a love of connecting with the audience. Lia Cirio’s sparkling performance in the pas de cinq on February 27 matched the glitter of her beautiful tutu. Lauren Herfindahl brought elegance to her roles as one of the “two swans” on both evenings, lead czardas on February 27, and pas de cinq dancer on March 9. She is a former Boston Ballet student who played Clara in the 2007 production of The Nutcracker, joined the company in 2011, and has risen through the ranks to become a soloist. Sun Woo Lee, who was lead Neapolitan on March 9 used his eyes to great effect when communicating with his partner, and the delight he took in being onstage was infectious. Haley Schwan, who was a pas de trois dancer and Act 3 princess on opening night as well as lead czardas on March 9, persuasively inhabits every role she undertakes.
(l-r) Sage Humphries and Lauren Herfindahl
in Mikko Nissinen’s “Swan Lake”
Photo by Thiek Smith
A few words about the music: first of all it is such a privilege to hear this score played live. Particularly striking were two sudden pauses in the coda of Act 2. One occurs after the swan corps dances to the assertive second theme. Then there is a ritard at the beginning of Odette’s variation, with the music building to a tremendous crescendo in her relevé-entrechat sequence. This is followed by another cut-off. During both pauses one could feel the theatre vibrating in silence before the music began again. Special kudos to concertmaster Christine Vitale and principal cellist Ronald Lowry for the intensity and sensitivity of their solos in the grand pas de deux of Act 2, which might be described as the burning heart of Swan Lake. Finally, bravo to conductor Mischa Santora and the entire Boston Ballet Orchestra for sustaining the drama of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece at fever pitch.
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