Vienna Festival Ballet- Swan Lake

Although I have seen most UK companies, one I had not yet seen, was Vienna Festival Ballet. Founded in 1980 by Peter Mallek, the company tours classical ballets around the UK for 8 months per year.

Swan Lake was presented at Bedworth Civic Hall, on March 31st. The curtain opened- confused, i muttered 'why no overture?!' as a middle-aged man awkwardly stepped up onto the stage. Grabbing a microphone, he gave a short speech, culminating in 'Kerry... I love you... Will you marry me?'

Impromptu proposal over, the curtain closed again and the overture began. The curtain reopened on the Jester- whose unfortunate brown tights reminded me somewhat of a Christmas turkey- doing turns a la seconde. His joyful, bouncy personality akin to that of a children's television character remained dominant throughout the ballet, at times seeming slightly too hyperbolic and out-of-place in the more solemn court scenes.

All of the dancers demonstrated pleasing stage presence and facial expression; their acting gave a vibrant sense of personality. In the pas de trois, Sandra Serey Sampedro danced the female variation with elegance- however, the temps de flèche in the allegro diagonale had been omitted, substituted with a small gargouillade, which seemed to stifle the flow of movement somewhat. 

At the end of Act 1, the curtain fell and the overture played- although Vienna Festival is a small company, the curtain and overture between each act seemed unnecessary, even awkward, leaving the audience in limbo, trying to stay engaged with the storyline.

Act 3 was equally awkward- although the dancers were all excellent, the modifications to the choreography seemed to fall slightly flat; why did Von Rothbart dance the Spanish dance? And why did the Princesses of each nationality sit demurely next to Seigfried, whilst their attendants danced for his approval?! 

Perdita-Jayne Lancaster continued to demonstrate strong technique in the Black Swan pas de deux, with flashy dynamics and dazzling characterisation. The sissonne fermées in her variation, however, were replaced with a series of echappés- which portrayed Odile's teasing nature, but nonetheless didn't quite satiate the audience. 

She seemed to couru for slightly too long in preparation for her fouettés, therefore managing 27 turns, although would easily be capable of more. Dean Rushton's Seigfried matched Lancaster's technical bravura in his coda, with lovely ballon in his jumps. 

The final act showcased the corps de ballet's sychronisation, co-ordination and focus, whilst Lancaster and Rushton's anguish radiated to the back of the stalls- however, Von Rothbart's death felt unconvincing, lacking dramatic quality.

Perhaps it would be worth seeing Vienna Festival's other repertoire, such as Coppelia or Giselle, as there are some definite potential stars awaiting their breakthrough in the company- who would maybe shine more in the traditional Petipa/Ivanov Swan Lake, rather than the remastered version.