Ballet West's Swan Lake

Last night I was thrilled to be able to attend opening night for Ballet West's production of Swan Lake.  It is my favorite ballet and the performance definitely did not disappoint because it is beautiful!  Prince Siegfried (Adrian Fry) goes into the woods to hunt but, when he aims his bow at a swan, it becomes a beautiful woman named Odette (Emily Adams).  She explains that she is a swan by day and a woman at night because she is under the spell of an evil sorcerer, the Baron von Rothbardt (Tyler Gum).  Only true love can break the spell but, as the sun comes up, Odette reverts back to a swan and Siegfried returns home to celebrate his birthday with a grand ball.  Many princesses vie for his attention because he must marry to inherit the throne but he ignores them all, thinking only of Odette.  Suddenly, Rothbardt enters the ballroom with his daughter Odile (Emily Adams), who looks exactly like Odette.  Thinking that she is Odette, Siegfried declares his love to Odile.  When Rothbardt reveals his treachery, Siegfried rushes to Odette to beg forgiveness which she grants.  They eventually find a way to defeat Rothbardt which ends the spell very dramatically.  Tchaikovsky's score is magnificent and there are moments when the music is so heart-wrenching that it brings tears to my eyes (the themes played by the harp and solo violin are a highlight).  The choreography is beautiful, especially the pas de deux between Siegfried and Odette because it is filled with so much longing as they fall in love (I especially loved it when Odette leans back into Siegfried's arms).  Fry and Adams dance with an emotion that is palpable and I was particularly impressed with Adams (I always want to see Katlyn Addison in the lead role but Adams is becoming a favorite) because she is demure as Odette and provocative as Odile and I loved all of the swan-like mannerisms that she incorporates into her performance.  I also loved the performances of the Swan Maidens, because they are incredibly synchronized with elaborate formations (I always get goosebumps when they emerge from the fog because it is so magical), and the Hungarian dancers at Siegfried's ball, because they are so athletic.  The costumes are gorgeous (Rothbardt's iridescent cape), the sets are spectacular (the chandeliers in the ballroom), and the special effects are are dramatic (Rothbardt's disappearance).  I loved everything about this production and, judging from the thunderous applause, so did the capacity crowd at Capitol Theatre!  I highly recommend getting a ticket to one the nine remaining performances (go here).