American Ballet Theater Perform "Swan Lake" at The Met
- Details
- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 13:50
- Written by Jack Angstreich
Skylar Brandt and Herman Cornejo in Swan Lake.Photo: Rosalie O’Connor.
At Lincoln Center’s marvelous Metropolitan Opera House on the evening of Wednesday, June 11th, I was afforded the immense pleasure of seeing a superb presentation, one of the first of the exciting new season at American Ballet Theater, of its indelible production of Swan Lake, featuring the immortal score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky—here admirably conducted by the veteran Ormsby Wilkins—and the glorious choreography of former Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, after that of the legendary Marius Petipa as well as Lev Ivanov. The superior sets and attractive costumes were designed by Zack Brown, while the evocative and sometimes powerfully dramatic lighting is by Duane Schuler.
The primary role of Odette-Odile was stunningly danced with exemplary precision and grace by Skylar Brandt in a realization that sustains comparison with those of such luminaries of this company as Natalia Osipova and Gillian Murphy. Her astonishing partner as Prince Siegfried was the tremendous Herman Cornejo, one of the greatest dancers in the troupe, who was characteristically riveting. Duncan Lyle and Andrii Ishchuk were each compelling in the doubled role of von Rothbart, the evil sorcerer.
The secondary cast was also terrific and I will here single out the most striking of these, beginning with Léa Fleytoux, Yoon Jeung Seo and above all the extremely promising Jake Roxander (who was also Benno, the prince’s friend) who together magnificently executed the fabulous Pas de Trois from Act I. The dance of the Cygnettes at the lakeside in Act II—one of the unforgettable highlights of the ballet—was here performed by Lauren Bonfiglio, Camila Ferrera, Rachel Richardson and Hannah Marshall, while the equally exquisite dance of the Two Swans was forcefully executed by Paula Waski and Remy Young.
The leading roles in the splendid divertissements from Act III were also notably brilliant. Seo, Bonfiglio and Richardson again along with Zimmi Coker were the Hungarian, Spanish, Italian and Polish Princesses respectively. Marshall again and Roman Zhurbin enacted the Czardas. The two couples in the delightful Spanish Dance were Virginia Lensi and Joseph Markey and Scout Forsythe and Jose Sebastian. Finally, Carlos Gonzalez and Andrew Robare were the protagonists of the Neapolitan Dance.
The most significant players in non-dancing roles were Isadora Loyola as the Queen Mother and John Gardner as both Wolfgang, tutor to the prince, and the Master of Ceremonies in Act III. The stellar corps de ballet was not unexpectedly enthralling, if at moments maybe ever so slightly under-rehearsed.
The artists deservedly were rewarded with an enthusiastic ovation.