Swan Lake, Opera Roma
Fumi Kaneko as Odette and Vadim Muntagirov as Siegfried in Opera Roma’s Il lago dei cigni (Swan Lake) © Fabrizio Sansoni
A lot can change in eight years.
For example, when I was 18, I knew little about ballet. Sure, I had taken lessons since I was 4, but I only knew who Darcey Bussell was due to her stint as a judge on Strictly. And yet here I am, at the ripe age of 26, recently back from Rome to watch Swan Lake starring dancers I could see at home in London.
Life really does like to throw a curveball, but boy am I glad that it threw me this one. Because otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the joy of crowning my new favourite Swan Lake.
This particular production is brought to us by ex-etoile (Principal dancer) of the Paris Opera Ballet, Benjamin Pech. Opening with a full prologue (in this version, Odette is cursed to be a swan by Rothbart while collecting flowers), we are soon thrust into high court life, victorian-style gowns, gold and blue ornate sets, chandeliers, feathered bicorn hats and all. The extravagance is stupendous and it is truly a feast for the senses, enhanced by a company on top form, with particular stand out solos during the Spanish and Hungarian folk dances in Act Three.
A highlight of Pech’s production is the storytelling. It is always centre stage, with a strong use of mime, opportunities for Siegfried to interact and dance with his guests and suitresses, multiple appearances from Odette in Act Three, and a dramatic ending that shocked and floored me (this is your five sentence spoiler warning). Such narrative-heavy choreography requires Principals with dramatic flair. Luckily two had just flown in from London.
Vadim Muntagirov as Siegfried in Opera Roma’s Il lago dei cigni (Swan Lake) © Fabrizio Sansoni
As Prince Siegfried, Vadim Muntagirov showed there is no stopping his rise and rise as a ballet heavyweight. Yes, his gravity-defying, light-as-a-feather, assured signature leaps are always a crowd-pleaser, but what is most thrilling about Vadim is his acting. Ever since his breakout moment in 2022 as Prince Rudolph in the psychological ballet Mayerling, his ability to add emotional depth to his characters has continuously improved. Most notably, his distress at the ends of acts three and four (when he declares his love to the wrong woman and then, spoilers, kills the woman he loves by accident with the crossbow that originally brought him to her - I told you, DRAMA) had me, a hardy woman who cries at little, on the brink of tears.
Fumi Kaneko as Odette in Opera Roma’s Il lago dei cigni (Swan Lake) © Fabrizio Sansoni
Only the best dancers can match such a powerhouse of skill and drama. And Fumi Kaneko is one of them. Only promoted to Principal of The Royal Ballet three years ago, Fumi has quickly proven herself to be one of the company’s best. Fumi has the purest quality of movement, every flutter of her arms and panicked widening of the eyes conveying Odette’s fear and distress. And yet, she has the range to bring the sass to Act Three’s Odile. In her black tutu she transforms into a woman on a mission, giving a masterclass in seduction as she reels Siegfried in yet always at a distance. Fumi truly owns and leads the stage - it's her story and we’re just witnessing it.
★★★★★
Il lago dei cigni (Swan Lake) by Opera Roma
Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Rome / 22 June 2024
Tickets bought with own money
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