Swan Lake

Saturday evening we went to a performance of the "Swan Lake" ballet, by the Tatarstan Ballet/Opera group. To be honest, I wasn't all that impressed...

Somehow I didn't feel absorbed into it, like I normally am when the performance is good. There were a few good dancers, including the jester (a role I had not seen in the swan lake before), and the Princess. The Prince however, was a disappointment. There was also a very long break between the third and fourth act, which was confusing to the audience, especially since the lights in the theatre went on. People were wondering if the performance was finished.

The other surprising thing was the end of the performance, when only a selection of the group came on stage for the applause. Several of the players never even appeared. Yesterday (Sunday) evening, they showed the swan lake ballet with the choreography of Noureyev on Mezzo TV, and the contrast couldn't have been bigger.

I don't think I'll visit a performance by the Tatarstan group again...