Thanks to Wendy Varley for sending through this review. If you’ve been to an event and feel inspired to share your experience with our readers, do let us know. Ed
The Vienna Festival Ballet brings ballet classics to the regions, and it was good to see their Swan Lake at Medina Theatre on Tuesday 2 December attracting a full house.
VFB talent-spots young dancers from around the world and among them this time was Amy Godolphin, a former pupil of Gillian Cartwright’s School of Dance in Shanklin, and Central School of Ballet. As well as her role in the corps she shone in the Spanish duet in Act three.
As productions of Swan Lake go, this was quite upbeat, with an exuberant court jester danced by the diminutive but very able and acrobatic Carl Hale, and – shock horror – a happy ending where Odette and Prince Siegfried manage to see off the evil Rothbart instead of jumping to their deaths in the lake as usually happens.
Robert Thomsen was impressive as Siegfried, but the men were rather let down by a distinctly unmenacing Rothbart.
The undoubted star was Japanese-born Yuka Ebihara, in the dual lead roles of Odette/Odile. As swan Odette she infused every step with vulnerability; as imposter Odile she sparkled with impish assertiveness. She has the perfect mix for a ballerina of grace, musical precision, wonderfully fluid technique and an ability to melt into the role she’s playing. During her thirty-two fouettés the eager audience broke into rapturous applause before she was even half way through.
I’ve been to some patchy ballet performances in the past at Medina Theatre, and some good but poorly-attended ones. It was heartening to see this successful production of a well-loved classic go down so well.
I hope VFB come back soon.
