From Paris with love

It is shaping up to be a year of firsts for Swan Lake in our city, particularly at the Capitol Theatre.

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake made its first appearance in Australia during the Mardi Gras festival, featuring the 130-year-old ballet with wild male swans rather than girls in tutus.

And in June, the Paris Opera Ballet will make its Australian debut, also at the Capitol, with a season of the traditional Swan Lake, as choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev, along with George Balanchine’s Jewels.

Dancers Emilie Cozette and Karl Paquette of the Paris Opera Ballet sit in the foyer of the Sydney Opera House, and Paquette tells of the company’s excitement about their first Australian visit.

You might think you are lucky to have the Paris Opera Ballet coming here, but we feel lucky to be coming to a place such as this to show this work, he says, looking out over the harbour.

The Paris Opera Ballet is regarded as one of the world’s greatest dance companies, and will bring 100 dancers and a full orchestra to perform at the Capitol Theatre when the season opens on 16 June.

Swan Lake was written by Tchaikovsky and was first staged in 1877. It was reworked by Nureyev in 1984 when he was director of dance of the Paris Opera Ballet.

Jewels by Balanchine premiered in 1967 and is a three-act homage to the evolution of ballet. The costumes have been designed by Christian Lacroix.

The significance of two major ballet companies -“ Matthew Bourne and Paris Opera Ballet -“ visiting Australia with two very different interpretations of Swan Lake is not lost on Karl Paquette, who dances the role of Rothbart.

There is always a mystique and attraction to this piece, he says. When you see the 32 swans on the line and you feel the atmosphere on the stage, we are all in a high state of emotion. In 20 years’ time, we will all still feel the same excitement for it.

That is why choreographers want to do their own versions of this, as it is a work that just does not date.

Fourteen years after Nureyev died of AIDS, his work lives on in the choreography he created. Paquette says dancers within the company are all trained in Nureyev’s style.

For us, it is like eating every day as we are so used to his repertoire and specific style, he says. He did so many things for the Paris Opera, and we are one of the biggest companies in the world to keep Nureyev’s repertoire alive.

The Paris Opera Ballet will perform Swan Lake and Jewels from 16 June at the Capitol Theatre. Bookings on 1300 136 166 or at www.ticketmaster.com.au.