Swan Lake Study Guide 2012

Swan Lake Study Guide
20122012-13
Valerie Harmon, Photo by Jessica Kaminski
Presented By the
Department of Community Outreach
Table of Contents
The Quintessential Ballet
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Milwaukee Ballet’s Swan Lake
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Choreographic Birds of a Feather – Petipa, Ivanov & Pink 5
Did You Know? – Matthew Bourne
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Behind the Music – Pyotr Tchaikovsky
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The Dying Swan
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Did You Know? – Swan Songs
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Bird Brains – A Swan Quiz
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Did You Know? – Swan-Upping
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Becoming a Better Birder
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Would You Want Wings?
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Appendix A: Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
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Appendix B: Being A Good Audience Member
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Appendix C: Balletomania!
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Sources and Special Thanks
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Photo by Jenn Mazza
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The Quintessential Ballet
Welcome to the Study Guide for Swan Lake, perhaps the world’s most widely recognized
ballet aside from The Nutcracker. It has been called the “quintessential ballet”
(quintessential means the purest and most perfect or the embodiment of, in this case, ballet!)
and is often the show that pops into people’s minds when the word ballet is mentioned. Since
its premiere in Moscow, Russia, it has been presented in over 150 versions by more than 100
companies in at least 25 different countries.
That’s a lot of swans!
Swan Lake didn’t start out successfully – which is surprising, considering its fame today. It
premiered on February 20, 1877, and although Tchaikovsky’s spectacular music was used
from the beginning, the choreography, originally done by Julius Reisinger, was less than
stellar. A critic who was at the performance wrote, "Mr. Reisinger’s dances are weak in the
extreme.... Incoherent waving of the legs that continued through the course of four hours - is this
not torture? The corps de ballet stamp up and down in the same place, waving their arms like a
windmill’s vanes - and the soloists jump about the stage in gymnastic steps." Ouch!
Unfortunately Reisinger failed to mesh his choreography with the psychological, beautiful
music Tchaikovsky created. Over the years, other choreographers tried their hand at
choreographing this bird ballet but it wasn’t until 1894, when Lev Ivanov choreographed act
two for a program commemorating Tchaikovsky after his death in 1893, that a decision was
made to restage the entire ballet. Lucky for us, the version that famed Frenchman Marius
Petipa and assistant Lev Ivanov created got it right. It has survived
until today so that audiences over one hundred years later can
still experience the magic of Swan Lake.
“This version of Swan Lake is deeply rooted in the classical tradition.
It was not my intention to delve into the psychological aspects of its narrative or to
find change for the sake of change. I see this as an age-old power struggle for
dominancy and good triumphing over evil.” – Michael Pink
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Milwaukee Ballet’s Swan Lake
Directed by: Michael Pink
Traditional Choreography: After Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Additional Choreography: Michael Pink
Ballet Mistress & Ballet Master: Nadia Thompson and Denis Malinkine
Lighting Design: David Grill
Scenic and Costume Design: Jose Varona
Prologue and Act One
The Queen’s confidante, Count von Rothbart, plots to depose the crown and proclaim
himself ruler. Through his mystical powers, he creates the effigy of Odile in the image of
Princess Odette to lure Seigfried, the heir apparent, to his death.
Prince Siegfried laments the loss of his childhood sweetheart Princess Odette, who
mysteriously disappeared with her friends whilst playing by the lakeside.
The day before Siegfried’s twenty-first birthday, he celebrates with his friend Benno. Count
von Rothbart salutes the young prince with a chalice containing a hallucinogenic drug. Now
he can lure him to the lakeside where he will reveal his true love, Odette. Von Rothbart has
placed a curse on Odette and her friends, they appear as Swans during the day and women in
the hours of darkness. Their salvation is dependent on Siegfried promising eternal love to
Odette and none other.
Act Two
The next evening in the Palace ballroom guests arrive to celebrate Siegfried’s birthday. It is
his duty to choose a bride from three eligible Princesses. Despite his mother’s insistence that
he choose a wife, Siegfried refuses, until the arrival of Odile. She casts her cunning spell on
him and he chooses her to be his bride and Queen. Count von Rothbart reveals to the Prince
and to the court the vision of Odette; the Prince has been deceived, he has sworn eternal love
to Odile. He runs from the palace in pursuit of his true love. The monarchy has fallen under
the rule of Count von Rothbart.
Siegfried finds Odette by the lakeside where she begs him to forget her, as they can never be
together. The Prince would rather forfeit his life than leave her.
In the ensuing fight, Rothbart mortally wounds Odette. Siegfried carries her to the lakeside
and together they plunge into their watery grave.
The power of true love rises out of the lake and engulfs Rothbart and Odile. The image of
Odette and her prince united in eternal love rises from the lake.
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Choreographic Birds of a Feather - Petipa, Ivanov & Pink
Swan Lake has been called a “work in progress” because it is, in some ways, always
undergoing change. Despite the fact that its most well-known version was choreographed by
Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov for the Maryinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, little
was written down about the choreography. Ballets are like good family stories – they are
passed down from generation to generation, so naturally, they may be altered throughout the
years.
For the most part, big productions of Swan Lake are usually done in four acts. The
choreography in acts one and three is based on Marius Petipa’s work and the lakeside acts by
Lev Ivanov. Usually they all contain the more well-known choreography that we associate
with Petipa and Ivanov’s version – the pas de trois (dance for three) in act one in the Prince’s
honor, the adagio (the opening section of the classical pas de deux – dance for two) between
Siegfried and Odette expressing their tragic love for each other, the pas de quatre (dance for
four) of the little swans, a dance for the two big swans, the party scene in act three with the
famous Black Swan pas de deux between Siegfried and Odile in which she does 32 fouettés
(whip turns) and then the self-inflicted death of the heartbroken Odette and Siegfried at the
end of act four. These acts look and feel different, not just because they were choreographed
by different people, but because Swan Lake itself is about opposites: night vs. day, dark vs.
light, good vs. evil, humans vs. animals, freedom vs. imprisonment, love vs. betrayal, and the
natural world of the lake vs. the human world inside the castle.
Much like productions of The Nutcracker, each choreographer is allowed to add his or her own
twist to the ballet. Throughout history Swan Lake has been shortened and cut to make the
story more succinct. Sergei Diaghilev shortened the ballet to two acts for the Ballet Russes
in 1911, because in his opinion, some of the original choreography was “dull and repetitive.”
Not all of the new Swan Lakes are based on the version of the 1800’s. In 1996,
Choreographer Matthew Bourne created a contemporary version of Swan Lake in which the
swans are menacing, fierce and all male! For Milwaukee Ballet, Michael Pink has shortened
the ballet to two acts because, as in all of his full-length ballets, he wants the audience to
have a clearer sense of the story and the characters. Instead of interrupting the theatrical
story with dancing just for the sake of dancing, Michael Pink’s version blends classical dance
with a relentless story all the way to the thrilling end.
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Here are some notes and highlights about the three choreographers who have
contributed to Milwaukee Ballet’s production of Swan Lake…
Marius Petipa
You could say that Marius Petipa had no choice about what
his career would be – his father Jean was a dancer, teacher
and choreographer and he wanted Marius to follow in his
footsteps – or dancesteps, as it were. Marius spent his youth
traveling around Europe (and even to New York when he
was 21), learning to dance and soon to perform. He had 17
brothers and sisters and their mother was an actress, which
made the Petipas quite the artistic family. Marius made his
dancing debut as Jocko, a Brazilian Ape in one of his
father’s productions. He rose up through the ranks and at
16 he became a premiere danseur (the highest rank for a male
dancer) and even began producing short ballets for the
Belgian company his father was running.
Marius eventually decided that he needed to venture out and become a man on his own. He
was ready to leave the shadows of both his father and his brother Lucien, a successful dancer
who became a premier danseur at the Paris Opera. Marius spent some time in France as a
principal dancer in Bordeaux and went to Spain where he studied Spanish dance and began
choreographing full length works at the King’s Theatre. Little did he know when he
accepted a one-year contract with the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre in 1847 that he would
stay there for the rest of his life and change the course of ballet in the process.
Marius had to start at the bottom again – first as a dancer under Jules Perrot and Arthur St.
Léon. Eventually, his dancemaking talents were finally recognized and he was named
Choreographer-in-Chief in 1862 and then Ballet Master in 1869. In his 50 years as Ballet
Master, he produced 50 ballets, revived 17 older ones and arranged the dancing for 35 operas.
He is the godfather of some of ballet’s biggest hits including Don Quixote, La Bayadére,
Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda and of course – Swan Lake!
“From his position at the top of the Imperial Russian Ballet, Petipa exerted a
profound influence on the art of ballet for almost forty years. Besides
choreographing dozens of new works, he made significant changes to the form and
content of ballet. Petipa is the inventor of the grand spectacle in ballet where we see
many exotic dances (called divertissements – a French word that means
“entertainments”; they are special dances inserted into the larger story of a ballet
just for entertainment and a chance to show off beautiful dancing), magical
transformations, and pageantry all in one show. Petipa also developed ballet’s pure
dance elements. In the past, ballet had been more focused on drama. After Petipa,
we get long stretches of just dancing: beautiful group formations (called ensembles
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and danced by the corps de ballets – literally the “body” of the ballet – the group of
dancers who make up the group dances) as well as solo dances (called variations)
that show off a particular dancer’s technique. All of these features are prominently
displayed in Swan Lake.” – Nina Miller, Former Director of Education, Colorado Ballet
A Petipa Highlight – 32 fouettés
Petipa’s most famous contribution to Swan Lake is
the Black Swan Pas de Deux that Odile (the evil
daughter of Rothbart who tries to fool Siegfried
into thinking she’s Odette) performs. Odile
performs 32 fouettés (pronounced FWET-tays) in
the dance. These “whipped turns” are incredible
because her turning leg never rests!!! As an
audience member you can start clapping for this
dancer even before she’s finished; people familiar
with ballet usually start applauding around during
turns 12 to 16!
The first dancer to perform this incredible display
of talent was Pierina Legnani, who first showed this
off in Petipa’s Cinderella. For a long time, Russian
dancers couldn’t figure out Pierina’s secret to these
mesmerizing turns.
Eventually a dancer named Mathilde Kschessinka
realized that if your eyes return to the same fixed
point everytime you turn – what we call “spotting”
today – you can turn and turn and turn and never get dizzy!
Why don’t you try to do spot turns? First, find a place where you aren’t going to crash into
any furniture. Now pick a spot on the wall, a hanging picture or a window for example. Start
turning around, but keep your eyes on your spot. At the last second, when you have to turn
because your eyes can’t see your spot anymore, whip your head around and fix your eyes back
on the spot. By spotting, you can turn without getting dizzy, but start slow until you are
comfortable doing this – it takes some practice!
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Lev Ivanov
Unlike Marius Petipa, who was more or less forced into becoming a
dancer, Lev Ivanov wanted to be a dancer as soon as he saw his first
ballet when he was a little boy. Lev grew up very poor, even having
to spend some time in an orphanage when his mother couldn’t make
ends meet. He was lucky enough to be sent to the Imperial Ballet
School in St. Petersburg where room, board and ballet lessons were
free. Once there, Lev learned ballet from some of the greats.
Ironically – he made his debut while training under Jean Petipa –
Marius’ father! Lev never quite made it to center stage in the way
that Marius did, even though he did eventually rise to the rank of
premier danseur. He was, if anything, reliable and always happy to
be dancing, even if he didn’t stand out like other stars.
One of his fellow dancers, Ekaterina Vazem, said of him, “Ivanov was a first-rate classical
dance soloist, artistically complete and highly experienced. His dancing was serene,
correct, and a pleasure to watch. He was also a good partner for any ballerina. He
loved to perform in the character genre as well; he was spectacular and graceful. As
a mime he was always in the right place, impressive and sufficiently expressive, but
out of his extensive repertory nothing particularly striking has made any lasting
impression on my memory. His talent shone with an even light, so to speak, without
the occasional flash.”
When you read about Lev in history, it seems a shame that he wasn’t seen at the time as a
more influential figure. Throughout his career, Lev’s impeccable memory came in handy.
He was able to jump into a role almost without rehearsing it and it helped him to gain the
position of Ballet Master because he could reproduce a score on the piano by just hearing it
once and was called a “walking reference book” who could set any ballet the company needed
him to do.
By the time the creation of Swan Lake came around, Lev had proved to be a good assistant
to Marius Petipa. After restaging act two of the ballet (which had previously been a flop)
Petipa asked him to stage acts two and four of the ballet – the white acts and most
importantly, the acts with swans! Swan Lake still didn’t receive rave reviews – at best they
were average. Even though Petipa got most of the credit for this ballet, years later, we
acknowledge and appreciate the huge impact Ivanov had on this classic ballet.
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An Ivanov Highlight – the lakeside scenes
The glorious swan scenes are what we think of when Swan Lake is mentioned. Lev Ivanov
really brought Tchaikovsky’s music to life – to flight! Here are some things to look for when
you watch the swan corps de ballet (the “body of the ballet” or the big group of dancers who
are swans in the show) and Odette dancing.
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The Swan Corps are women who have been put under a spell that turns them into
swans during the day. Since they are stuck halfway between being women and being
swans, try to decide when you think they are more birdlike and when they are more
maidenlike. Think of their arms as wings – sometimes they move slowly with rolling
motions as if they are hovering over the lake, sometimes they flap and flutter
nervously, sometimes they preen and fluff themselves, sometimes they hide behind a
wing.
The swans aren’t always sweet, docile birds – watch as they throw their arms behind
them and aim their heads down as they swoop to attack, protecting themselves
against von Rothbart.
The swan corps is constantly moving in and out of lines and formations – similar to
birds flying in a “V” formation when they prepare to head south for the winter.
Watch as the dancers’ whole bodies create the shape of a swan – when they raise their
legs bent slightly but high behind them, they look like swans coasting across the
water.
Siegfried wants Odette to be a human, not a swan, so that he can marry her and live
happily ever after. When they dance together you can see him wrapping his arms
around her in an embrace, but also enclosing her wings and pulling her out of the air
so that she cannot fly away.
When Siegfried turns Odette, sometimes the turns are slow – not always the fast turns
a male dancer assists a female dancer with – these are more deliberate and unhurried.
These turns show us that Odette is, for the first time since the curse was put on her,
relaxing and learning to trust someone, but also expressing her sadness at the
situation she is in. Odette does find happiness though, as she falls in love with
Siegfried. If you watch the rapid beating of her pointed foot against the other, it is as
if we see her heart beating faster and faster with excitement.
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Michael Pink
Michael Pink is celebrating his 10th Anniversary with
Milwaukee Ballet this season, making him the longest
serving Artistic Director in the organization’s history. Since
joining the Company in December of 2002, he has
established himself as a prominent member of the
Milwaukee arts community, demonstrating his commitment
to the future of dance through new work, education and
collaboration. He continues to build a strong working
relationship with Milwaukee Repertory Theater, where his
collaborations include A Christmas Carol, Assassins,
Cabaret and Next to Normal. His artistic vision for
Milwaukee Ballet continues to be exciting and challenging.
His long awaited production of Peter Pan signified a major
landmark in the Company’s history and was filmed by
Milwaukee Public Television during its recent performances. Mr. Pink’s theatrical
productions of Dracula, Esmeralda, Swan Lake, Giselle 1943, The Sleeping Beauty,
Cinderella and Romeo & Juliet have been hailed as ‘Classical Ballet for the 21st Century’.
Michael Pink is an international choreographer and teacher. He trained as a classical
dancer at the Royal Ballet, joining English National Ballet in 1975. During his ten years
with the Company, he danced many leading roles, most notably his partnership with
Natalia Makarova in John Cranko’s Onegin. From 1986 to 1998 he worked alongside
Christopher Gable as founding director of Ballet Central and Associate Artistic Director of
the Northern Ballet Theatre.
Throughout his career he has worked with such luminaries as Dame Ninette de Valois, Sir
Frederick Ashton, Rudolf Nureyev, Léonide Massine, Nicholas Beriosoff and Glen Tetley.
His early choreographic work won him first place in the Ursula Moreton Choreographic
Competition and the Royal Society of Arts Competition. He has worked as répétiteur for
Rudolf Nureyev at the Paris Opera and La Scala Milan.
His first professional work, 1914, was nominated for a West End Theatre Award.
A long standing friendship with composer Philip Feeney has produced over 20 original
works. His other works include Don Quixote, Strange Meeting, Esmeralda, Solstice, Don’t
Touch, Aubade, as well as works for theatre and television. In 2008 Mr. Pink was
recognized by the Wisconsin Dance Council with the Choreography/Performance Award.
Photo by Jessica Kaminski
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A Pink Highlight – acting and dancing
Michael’s choreography is sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying, sometimes romantic, and
always full of drama. One of the things that set him apart from other choreographers is his
desire to see his dancers really take their roles seriously and do some acting. Often times
when you see an art form such as ballet or opera, the artists forget that they are telling a
story to people – not just peforming amazing footwork or singing incredible arias. He wants
the dancers to really think about the character they are playing so that they can bring truth
and honesty to the role, so that we the audience can follow the story and connect with what’s
happening on stage.
Michael likes to take famous stories and turn them into big, lavish, theatrical ballets – like
Dracula, Romeo & Juliet or Peter Pan.
• What is a story that you love that might work as a ballet?
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Why do you think dance would be a good way to express this story on stage?
As you know, ballets don’t have any words in them. So, how do the dancers tell the audience
what’s happening? How does someone become as good an actor as they are a dancer?
Whether you realize it or not, people can sometimes just look into your eyes and know how
you feel – but gestures and body language also help. Let’s see how well you do this. Go stand
in front of a mirror and perform the following emotions, just by using your face:
• Happy
• Sad
• Angry
• Scared
Those are pretty easy. Now try these:
• Cautious
• Nervous
• Overwhelmed
• Ecstatic
• Shocked
• Ashamed
• Confused
• Mischievous
Now do them again using your whole body. Remember, you can’t use any words or sounds!
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Would someone be able to tell what you felt if you didn’t say anything and just made these
faces? In ballet, this is called pantomime (or sometimes just “mime”). In classical ballet,
there are universal gestures that tell the story. Read these descriptions and try the
movements. Then, see if you can put the ballet “sentences” together just using mime.
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Anger – fist shaken
Ask/Beg/Please – hands clasped together in a pleading gesture
Beautiful – hand circling face
Call – hand or hands cupped around mouth
Crazy – finger circling by ear
Dance – hands circling around each other while arms are raised overhead
Death – arms straight in front, crossed at wrists with hands in fists
Fear – body leaning away with hands open and palms out
Goodbye – hands waving
Headache – back of hand to forehead
Hear – hand pointing to or cupping ear
Hunger – hands rubbing stomach
I/Me/Mine – hand to chest indicating oneself
Love – hands over heart
Marriage – index finger pointing to ring finger on left hand
No/Never – with palms down, hands waving over each other crossing at wrist
Pray – palms together
Promise – two fingers held together, raised upward toward the audience (palm facing
audience)
Quiet/Don’t Speak – finger pressed against lips or hand clasped over mouth
Reading – hands together, palms facing upwards creating a book
Remember/Think – touch or point to temple
Revenge – clenched fist comes from overhead down in front of body
Royal – hand circling top of head to indicate crown
Sad/Cry – finger tracing tears down face or wiping tears away off cheek or face in
hands
Scheming – fingers moving down along sides of chin
See – finger pointing to eyes
Shoot – pretending to aim bow and arrow
Sleep – hands in praying position held on side of face with head inclined as though
resting on a pillow
Stop/Go away – palm out or both palms out toward other person
Why/Where/What – hands open, palms up in front or on sides of body
You – arm extending to another person with hand open, palm up or direct point with
finger
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Can you put these sentences together with mime?
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You are beautiful and I want to marry you.
Come here! I’m angry with you!
I’m afraid. I hear the queen.
The king is dead.
You are giving me a headache.
Let’s all dance!
Using the ballet mime
dictionary, create your own
silent sentences. Write them here
and perform them for each other.
See if you “speak” ballet mime!
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Did You Know? – Matthew Bourn
Bourne
urne
In 1996 a choreographer named Matthew Bourne premiered his version of Swan Lake for his
company Adventures in Motion Pictures. The same characters appear: a young prince, a
determined and over-zealous queen and of course, swans. But Bourne’s swans are not the
tutu-clad beauties we are used to seeing – in fact quite the opposite – they are males!
Bourne’s swans are fierce and swarming, not graceful and lithe. Their costumes are in the
form of feathery knickers and spiky (almost mohawk-like) hair coming to sharp triangular
points.
Bourne wasn’t intimidated by creating a ballet so vastly different from its classical roots. He
said, “How seriously do a lot of people take that [the classic interpretation]? To some
people the original ‘Swan Lake’ looks ridiculous. As long as you approach the music
in a truthful way, I don’t see why it must always have the same steps and the same
images.”
Will Kemp, Photo by Joan Marcus
If you created a version of Swan Lake,
what would your swans be like?
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Behind the Music – Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in a secluded part of Russia called
Kamsko-Votkinsk, far from city life. From the time he was very small, he
heard the beautiful folk music of the Russian countryside playing all
around him. Even after he grew up and moved to the great cities to study
and write for classical orchestras, this music influenced his work.
• Pyotr was born on May 7, 1840.
• In 1850 he begins to compose. How old was he when he started to
compose?
• In 1854 his mother dies of cholera. (Look this up online– what is
it?)
Pyotr had piano lessons when he was a child but got a regular academic education and worked for the
government before settling down to study music seriously at the age of twenty. He studied at the St.
Petersburg Conservatory and went on to teach at the Moscow Conservatory by the time he was
twenty-six. Pyotr wrote many textbooks for music students and he also served as music critic for a
major newspaper. He was lucky enough to be recognized as a great composer in his own time as well
as in the years since his death.
Tchaikovsky was asked by the leaders of the Bolshoi Theatre to compose a ballet that would later
become Swan Lake. At the time, he was given six months to finish the project (although it ended up
taking two years!) Tchaikovsky had planned to use some music he had already been writing, for an
opera called Ondine. As it turns out, the final duet of Ondine is identical to the second-act adagio of
Swan Lake. This was, in fact, his first ballet and it is not clear why exactly he was asked to do the
job. According to him, he decided to accept the job, “partly because I need the money and partly because
I have long cherished the desire to try my hand at this kind of music.” In this score, Tchaikovsky did
more than create music that could be danced to - this music was complex and full of characters and
drama. The music is as important a character as Odette or Odile in Swan Lake!
Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s music was known for its emotional and highly individual style. The music he
loved so much also communicated strong emotion. But many people believe that Pyotr’s own
unhappy life put the brooding sound in his music. Tchaikovsky wrote many symphonies, operas and
concerti but only three ballet scores. These three, written in the last years of his life, just happen to
be the three of the most popular ballets of all time: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The
Nutcracker.
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What do you like about the music in Swan Lake?
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Have you ever heard this music before?
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Could you tell when something bad was going to happen by listening to the music?
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The Dying Swan
Anna Pavlova, known as La Pavlova to her adoring fans, was one of the
world’s best known ballerinas. Pavlova was born in St. Petersburg,
Russia in 1881. She was a sick and frail child who came from an
extremely poor family. After seeing The Sleeping Beauty, she decided
that she had to become a dancer. Anna entered the Imperial Ballet
School in 1892 and graduated in 1899. She rose to stardom dancing for
the Ballet Russes, under Sergei Diaghilev. But Anna wanted more. She
wanted to dance for people all over the world and set out on a tour to
places with no known ballet history and thus single-handedly introduced
ballet to many of the countries she toured. Her travels took her to
London, Paris, Berlin, New York, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Tokyo,
Calcutta, Melbourne, Batavia, Cape Town, Vienna, Stockholm, Milan,
Prague, Munich and Amsterdam. She made her American debut dancing
the role of Swanilda in Coppélia on February 28, 1910, with the
Metropolitan Opera in New York. Though she wowed audiences with dances featuring her as an
exotic woman, a fairy princess, a woodland sprite and a rose, she is most famous for her performances
of The Dying Swan, choreographed by Michel Fokine in 1907.
The Dying Swan is not from Swan Lake, but was inspired by “Le Cygne” (“the swan” in French)
from composer Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals. Michel Fokine choreographed it in
less than 30 minutes, working directly with Anna! This role, The Dying Swan, has become a ballet
icon and continues to be honored. Most dancers who play Odette in Swan Lake borrow something
from the solo in homage to Pavlova. There are similiarities to the plight of the poor dying swan and the
swans in Swan Lake however, Pavlova’s swan longs for eternal life as she struggles for one last flight
just like Ivanov’s swans long for life as women again. There is a sadness and beauty in both and in the
interpretation of a lithe, ethereal dancer creating the likeness of a graceful swan.
Though Pavlova allowed herself to be filmed for historical preservation, no complete version of this
famous dance exists. Pavlova has been described as lean, long-limbed, svelte and willowy. You can
see excerpts of Pavlova and other famous dancers performing The Dying Swan – follow these links!
See how they honor her but also how ballet has evolved.
Anna Pavlova (1925) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxewIq7DG3A
Maya Plisetskaya (1959) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-AMH_Woywg
Natalia Makarova (1964) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AzUmb8gasY
Nina Ananiashvili (1991) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFJGhQYex-E
Natalia Osipova (2012) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZrbqMozYVU
For one of the most interesting adaptations, follow this link to see a Brazilian
contestant on a dance shos combining STREET DANCE & BALLET!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tlAFhXx48w
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In what countries are the following cities where Anna Pavlova danced?
London,
Paris,
Berlin,
New York,
Buenos Aires,
Madrid,
Tokyo,
Calcutta,
Melbourne,
Batavia,
Cape Town,
Vienna,
Stockholm,
Milan,
Prague,
Munich,
Amsterdam,
Ballet was man’s territory in the beginning – women weren’t allowed to
do first position for nearly the first 75 years of its history. King
Louis XIV gets credit for “inventing” ballet - he didn’t, but he was
the first to codify it. Under his reign he created the Royal
Academy of Dance and Music (still in existence – now as the
Paris Opera Ballet) and ballet became an official matter of the
kingdom. Louis’ court dancing, with him as the star, was formal
and extravagant; dancing brought you closer to God as you
attempted to embody perfection within your own being. At first
reserved for the upper crust – ballet started to make its way out to the people and
eventually, women were allowed to train. Two famous Maries stood out in the mid
1700s as some of ballet’s first female celebs: Marie Sallé for her long flowing hair,
looser costumes and dramatic interpretations and Marie Camargo for her shortened
skirt, flatter shoes and fancy footwork (she was revered for her ability to “dance like
a man”.)
By the 1800s as the Romantic Age of ballet swept Europe, ballerinas were being flown
across the stage on wires as they portrayed sylphs, fairies, spirits and ethereal ghosts (in
fact, Swanhilda from Coppélia is one of the very few flesh and blood characters in the
ballets of this time period). These light, other-worldly beings would be set down on the
stage, lingering for brief moments on the tips of their toes. This was a fantastical delight to
audiences – it elevated the already intriguing ballerina to something even more magical, and
dancing en pointe began. Marie Taglioni is perhaps the most famous sylph of this time
period and her pointe dancing was world renown. Famous anecdotes about her tell of
robbers letting her go once they saw her dance and of people cooking up her pointe shoes
and serving them with béchamel sauce or filling them with Dom Pérignon and using them as
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champagne flutes. (If you’ve ever been close to a used pointe shoe these ideas seem
completely unappetizing!)
In the height of classical ballet (1850s Russia), pointe shoes and dancing on the points of the
toes had developed largely to what we know it to be today. Marius Petipa knocked out his
ballets – Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, producing one hit after
another (well, not The Nutcracker – America made that one famous). The grandiose story
ballet, peppered with divertissement which showed off the dancers’ tricks and talents,
became the norm and audiences became accustomed to the intricate footwork of an
accomplished ballerina. Today of course, pointe shoes are part and parcel of the ballets we
watch – whether in classical ballet or in something more contemporary, modern-day
ballerinas are the masters of tip-toe dancing.
The ballet shoe, which had started as a heeled shoe hardly allowing freedom of motion,
eventually became a leather slipper – similar to what we have today. Pointe shoes were
crude and rudimentary – dancers would darn the tips of their shoes with thread, trying to
create some kind of harder surface on which to balance. The technique and the shoe itself
developed together: leather, satin, glue and cardboard, a thin wooden sole – put them
together and you have a toe shoe. Surprisingly, with all of today’s newfangled technology,
they haven’t changed that much. They are still handmade, all over the world. (The Ballet
spends nearly $30,000 each year on pointe shoes!) While there have been some attempts to
modernize them (fiberglass boxes in the toes or rubberized shoes) dancers still want to feel
the floor when they dance and the old-fashioned shoes have persevered. The box edge of
the top of a pointe shoe often makes people think that there is a literal box of
wood inside the shoe. Because the dancers stand, literally on the tips of their
toes, their feet do look longer and they get 6-9 inches taller; but it’s
them, standing on their toes – nothing is elevating them besides their
own muscles and years of practice.
“In spite of the fact that her shoes weighed only one-half ounce more
than the unblocked shoes of Taglioni’s day, Anna Pavlova added a new
dimension to pointe dancing in her portrayal of The Dying Swan. She
was
contantly on pointe in bourrée, a feat which had previously been
thought impossible. Pavlova was rumored to have a secret process for preparing her
slippers; after having a student break them in, she ripped out the cardboard and the fabric
and leather liners and replaced them with a mysterious inner sole of her own design. She
was reported to wear shoes with very wide platforms which afforded her superior balance.
However, she supposedly took special care to have the platforms touched up in photographs
to look narrower and more delicate, creating the illusion that she balanced on ‘nothing.’”
– The Pointe Book
There is an all male ballet company called Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. While
they perform all of the parts en travesti (in tutus and pointe shoes!) and as parodies, they are
classically trained and incredibly talented. Here’s a link to their version of The Dying Swan,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMzzgBVRneY
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The Dying Swan is a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson that Michel Fokine may have used as
inspiration in creating this dance for Anna Pavlova. Read it:
I.
The plain was grassy, wild and bare,
Wide, wild, and open to the air,
Which had built up everywhere
An under-roof of doleful gray.
With an inner voice the river ran,
Adown it floated a dying swan,
And loudly did lament.
It was the middle of the day.
Ever the weary wind went on,
And took the reed-tops as it went.
II.
Some blue peaks in the distance rose,
And white against the cold-white sky,
Shone out their crowning snows.
One willow over the river wept,
And shook the wave as the wind did sigh;
Above in the wind was the swallow,
Chasing itself at its own wild will,
And far thro’ the marish green and still
The tangled water-courses slept,
Shot over with purple, and green, and yellow.
III.
The wild swan’s death-hymn took the soul
Of that waste place with joy
Hidden in sorrow: at first to the ear
The warble was low, and full and clear;
And floating about the under-sky,
Prevailing in weakness, the coronach stole
Sometimes afar, and sometimes anear;
But anon her awful jubilant voice,
With a music strange and manifold,
Flow’d forth on a carol free and bold;
As when a mighty people rejoice
With shawms, and with cymbals, and harps of gold,
And the tumult of their acclaim is roll’d
Thro’ the open gates of the city afar,
To the shepherd who watcheth the evening star.
And the creeping mosses and clambering weeds,
And the willow-branches hoar and dank,
And the wavy swell of the soughing reeds,
And the wave-worn horns of the echoing bank,
And the silvery marish-flowers that throng
The desolate creeks and pools among,
Were flooded over with eddying song.
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What do the following words mean from parts I and III of the poem?
• Doleful:
• Lament:
• Weary:
• Warble:
• Manifold:
• Dank:
• Desolate:
• Eddying:
Read part II carefully. It describes the scene in which this sad moment takes place. Can you
draw this scene using the description Tennyson gives?
21
Did You Know?
now? – Swan Song
The expression “swan song” is older than the ballet Swan Lake and
the meaning behind it is even older than that! Legend has it
that mute swans, quiet their whole lives (except for the
standard snorting, quacking, grunting and hissing they
do), sing a beautiful song right before they die. As
romantic as this idea might be, it is just a legend.
Since the time of Greek mythology, swans have been
associated with music and with the gods Orpheus
and Apollo. Greek thinkers and writers Plato,
Euripedes, Aristotle, Senaca and Cicero all believed in
the legend of the dying swan’s sweet voice. Famous
English writers like Chaucer, Caxton, Spenser,
Coleridge and Shakespeare mentioned it in their works. And speaking of
Shakespeare, he was called the “sweet swan of Avon.”
In 1831, the phrase “swan song” appeared in Carlyle’s Sartor Resartus – he defined it as “the
final work of a person’s life,” which is still a definition used today. Carlyle got this from a
German word “schwanengesang” which did mean swan song – you can almost see the word
swan in this word! In fact, Franz Schubert’s collection of songs published the year of his
death in 1828 was known as the Schwanengesang. Today, we call it a swan song when
someone has their last theatrical appearance, usually when they retire from the stage.
Our own Wardrobe Mistress, Mary Belle Potter, will have her
Swan Song during Swan Lake, as she retires after 40 years
with Milwaukee Ballet! Mary Belle is one-in-a-million. She
is at every show until the wee hours, making sure costumes
are in perfect condition. She will dig through the racks of
costumes in the basement to find just the right tunic and
then tell you a story of how famous dancer, Fernando
Bujones, wore it before Rolando Yanes (now Director of
Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy) did. She has no
problem with manual labor, lugging costumes up and down
stairs as well as doing the Ballet’s entire recycling program
from cans and bottles to paper and boxes. Mary Belle
always has a smile and a sense of humor but she has no
fear of telling us how things should be done to save money
or be more efficient. She is a true gem and one of the
hardest working, encyclopedic, fascinating people in the
business. It is hard to imagine how she fits all of that
amazing energy, spirit and dedication into her tiny office
across from the laundry room. We will miss her more than words can ever express.
Mary Belle Potter, Photo by Lindsey Abendschein, Courtesy of Shepherd Express
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Bird Brains – A Swan Quiz
Swans are the common name for any of seven species of water birds constituting a distinct
section of the duck family. Swans are larger than geese and are recognizable by their long,
arched necks. Noted for their graceful movements in the water, they have been the subject
of many poems, fairy tales, legends and musical compositions.
Do some research about swans in your school library or online and see if you can find the
answers to the following questions.
1. Name the seven species of swans:
2. Where does the Black Swan live?
3. What do you call a scientist who studies birds?
4. What is the most common species of swan (also the kind Swan Lake is based on)?
5. How long do swans typically stay with a mate?
6. What do you call a baby swan?
7. What do you call a male swan?
8. What do you call a female swan?
9. How long does it take a newborn swan to develop to the flying stage?
10. About how long do swans live?
The answers to this quiz are found on the Sources and Special Thanks page.
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Did You Know?
Know? – SwanSwan-Upping
…In Britain, Mute Swans continue to be Crown (or royal) property in the River Thames and a special
ceremony called “Swan-Upping” is celebrated every year. This ceremony dates back to the 12th century
when the Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans in Britain. Back then, swans were a favorite dish
at royal feasts and banquets. Today, swans are no longer eaten, and since they have gone through
periods of near-endangerment, this ceremony is very important in keeping track of and protecting these
beautiful birds.
During the third week of July each year the Swan-Upping ritual happens. The Queen’s official Swan
Marker and the Swan Uppers of the Vitners’ and Dyers’ livery companies (who have also been
granted rights to the swans since the 15th century) travel up the Thames in six rowing skiffs (light
rowboats) in a five day journey. You can tell who is who by the uniforms they wear – the swan
wardens who work for the Queen wear scarlet jerseys, the Swan Marker wears a red braided jacket
and a special hat with a swan’s feather in it and the wardens from Vitners’ company wear green and
the wardens from Dyers’ wear blue. These royal men travel up the river looking for the swans and
when they find a group of them, they shout, “All up!” and then the six rowboats get into position to
count and examine the swans. The purpose for Swan-Upping nowadays is to keep a census (or count)
of the swans to monitor their population and protection. The men in the boats must skillfully weigh,
measure, examine and mark the birds before letting them swim free again. As the men row by
Windsor Castle, they stand up in the skiffs, raise their oars in the air and salute, “Her Majesty The
Queen, Siegneur of the Swans!”
Have you ever heard of birds treated so well? Do some research about another
Royal ceremony or tradition and summarize it here:
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Becoming a Better Birder
After doing some bird watching at the ballet, maybe you want to go out into the wild (or just
to a nearby park with a lake and some trees!) and do some bird watching in nature. Bird
watchers are called “birders” and they call their hobby “birding”. Here are some tips from
birding.com for becoming a true birder and some journal pages to record your findings:
1. Get a field guide for the area you live in – this guide will show pictures of birds that you can
find near where you live and also tips for locating them.
2. Bring binoculars – these are important because birds are quick and often high over your head
in a tree. This will help you to see them in detailed beauty.
3. Look for official checklists which you can link to from the same website, www.birding.com
These will list all the birds possibly found in your state – Wisconsin’s list is 11 pages long!
These lists are categorized by scientific orders, families, common names and scientific names.
Did you know that everything from a blue jay and a common raven all the way to a belted
kingfisher or a yellow-bellied flycatcher can be found here in the state?!
4. Research how to find specific birds – are they going to be in lakes, on the ground or high in the
treetops? Do they sing? What do their songs sound like?
5. Join a group of other birders – this way you can talk about what you see and learn from
people who have been doing this longer than you.
6. Go on a birding trip or a day tour to see special kinds of birds. (If you do go out on a birding
tour wear neutral colors, not white – this way, you will blend into your natural surroundings
better.)
7. Read about birds in your spare time – the more you know about birds, the more interesting
they are.
8. Bring birds to you – by planting certain flowers in your garden at home or hanging a
birdhouse, birds will become frequent visitors. (The section on Backyard Bird Feeding at
www.birding.com is full of great information about how to create a healthy, fun spot for
birds in your yard!)
9. Record your sightings in a journal – bring your birding journal with you everywhere – to
parks, to your backyard, or on vacation. Soon – you’ll see how many birds there are
everywhere you go!
10. Have fun! Ask questions of other birders! Most importantly – be kind to the birds you meet!
Using the following page, record your findings in your first few days as a birder. If you don’t
know what kind of birds you are seeing, record as much as you can and see if you can
investigate what kinds of birds you saw by looking online or in the library.
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My Bird Journal
Date:
Place:
Time of Day:
Kind of bird seen (if known):
Description:
Kind of bird seen (if known):
Description:
Sketch the bird here:
Sketch the bird here:
Did this bird sing or make noises?
Describe:
Did this bird sing or make noises?
Describe:
Other notes:
Other notes:
Kind of bird seen (if known):
Description:
Kind of bird seen (if known):
Description:
Sketch the bird here:
Sketch the bird here:
Did this bird sing or make noises?
Describe:
Did this bird sing or make noises?
Describe:
Other notes:
Other notes:
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Would You Want Wings?
Where did the idea of women turning into swans come from exactly? Was it Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s
own imagination? Probably not, according to scholars who have researched the beginnings of this
wonderful music and later, the ballet. In 1877, when the first disastrous version of the ballet was
performed, people thought it was based on an old German folk tale even though no such tale can be
found today from that time period. Some thought it was similar to Wagner’s opera Lohengrin, about
a human turned into a swan by sorcery. Other’s pointed to Pushkin’s 1831 story in verse about a
shipwrecked prince who rescues a swan who then gets attacked by a vulture, both birds possessing
magical powers. Around this same time, a Russian storyteller Alexander Afanasievm, published a
book of national folklore (in 1851) in which six stories contain female characters who mystically turn
into swans – even some where the swan-women fall in love with princes. This idea or fantasy as it
turns out, is much older than this.
Going back to the folklore of ancient cultures, it seems there is a fascination not only with the
graceful swan but with the idea that they can transform into women and back again. Beyond the
examples that Tchaikovsky may have drawn on, these stories have been found in the Hindu culture,
Scandinavian mythology, the tales of the Arabian Nights, in ancient Greece, in Slavic literature and
in Celtic folklore. In many of these stories, the women have become swans by putting on a magic cloak
made of feathers. By taking off the cloak, the swans would change into women, sometimes staying this
way for years, even marrying and having children. The legends often speak of a constant longing for
their lives as birds again and then frequently end with the women donning their cloaks and escaping
into the sky.
The idea of humans and animals sharing the same body isn’t just an old story. We still see examples
of this in comic book characters like Batman, Spiderman and Catwoman, in movies like Brother Bear
or The Little Mermaid – and even in Harry Potter! Some of the wizards at Hogwarts are also animagi
– this comes from the Latin “anima” which means “living soul” and the Persian “magus” which
means “magic user.” For example, Professor McGonagall can change into a tabby cat and Sirius
Black could change into a big, black dog.
•
•
•
If you could change into an animal, what would it be?
Why did you choose this animal? Does it have special powers that you wish you had?
On the next page, write a story about your transformation into an animal. Do you
change into an animal to save people’s lives or do you do it to go places that you can’t
go as a human?
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Title of My Story:______________________
Written By:__________________________
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Appendix A: Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
Parents and Teachers: This study Guide utilizes Wisconsin Model Academic
Standards. Below are a few examples.
English Language Arts
Standard A. Read and discuss literary and nonliterary texts in order to
understand human experience.
4.3 Identify and summarize main ideas and key points from
literature, informational texts, and other print and nonprint
sources
8.3 Identify common historical, social, and cultural themes and
issues in literary works and selected passages
Social Studies
Standard B: History
4.3 Examine biographies, stories, narratives, and folk tales to
understand the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people, place
them in time and context, and explain their relationship to
important historical events
12.7 Identify major works of art and literature produced in the
United States and elsewhere in the world and explain how they
reflect the era in which they were created
Dance
Standard A: Motor Learning
4.7 Create shapes through movement and move at low, medium,
and high levels
Standard C: Improvisation
4.1 Use improvisation to explore, discover, and invent
movement
4.2 Improvise spontaneous dances using poetry, stories, and
props
Standard D: Choreography
4.2 Create a dance phrase, repeat it, and vary it (making changes
in the space, time, and/or force or energy)
8.6 Use scientific and/or mathematical concepts to create
movement studies
Standard E: Critical Thinking
8.2 Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior while watching
dance performances, and discuss their opinions about the dances
with their peers in a supportive and constructive way
Standard F: Communication and Expression
8.2 Research influential dancers, choreographers, and styles (such
as modern, ballet, square, Ghanaian, Middle Eastern)
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Appendix B: Being a Good Theatre Audience
Unlike actors on television, performers on the stage are aware of their audience
and want very much to communicate their art to you, and feel your appreciation
in turn. In fact, by the time you arrive at a theatre for a scheduled performance,
many people (choreographers, composers, dancers, technicians, costume and
lighting designers, etc.) have worked very hard to bring you their best efforts. In
order to show respect for those efforts, every audience member must give the
performance their full attention and avoid any behavior that interferes with
anyone else doing the same. We have rules that help us accomplish this goal, and
you should do your best to understand and follow them:
1. Always arrive at the theatre with plenty of time to find your seats and settle
down into them. Late arrivals mean disruption for everyone else, including the
performers.
2. No shoving or running in the lobby.
3. No cameras or video recorders. Flashes are dangerous for dancers and
unapproved photos and videos violate copyright laws.
4. No hooting, whistling or yelling during the performance. The performance has
begun when anyone on stage starts talking or dancing, or when the orchestra
starts playing. You are welcome to show your appreciation for the performance
with applause at the end of the ballet or sometimes at the end of a section or
solo. You are also welcome to laugh is someone on stage is being intentionally
funny.
5. No talking or whispering during the performance. You will have plenty of time
to discuss your impressions at intermission of after the show.
6. No gum, candy or food in the theatre (it makes noise and sticky messes).
7. Use the bathroom before the show begins or at intermission, not during the
performance.
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Appendix C: Balletomania!
There are many ways to become a balletomane (a ballet fan or enthusiast) besides
taking dance classes or wanting to be a ballerina or premier danseur yourself.
Here are some suggestions for enjoying ballet:
Watching ballet on film – check with your local library to see what videos they offer. Regular video
stores also offer musicals which sometimes have some great dancing in them (although not usually
ballet.)
Read the stories the ballets are based on and listen to the music before you go to see the show –
you will understand the whole ballet a lot more if you are not struggling to keep up with what the
characters are doing. If the ballet does not have a plot, being familiar with the music will help you
focus on the dancing more.
Keep a ballet scrapbook – clip and save articles, reviews and promotional ads from the newspaper.
Collect and save all of your programs, ticket stubs and even autographs from your favorite dancers to
add to your book. Sometimes, if you wait at the Stage Door after a performance, you can meet the
dancers as they leave the theatre.
Write a review of the ballets you see – read the professional reviews in the papers first. Do you agree
with them? Do you like things they forgot to mention? If you don’t agree with them, write your own
review and try to describe what you saw and why you liked it.
Check out books in the library about ballet – there are a number of fictional and non-fictional books
about ballet, being a dancer, the art of ballet and its stars.
Workshops – attend special workshops at your school or local theatres.
Look for ballet in art – several painters, sculptors and photographers use dance and dancers as their
inspiration. For example Edward Degas painted dancers on stage and in the studio. Local artist Jason
Fricke has done beautiful drawings of Milwaukee Ballet’s dancers and you can see them in the theatre
boutique!
AND OF COURSE . . .
Going to the theatre – attend as many performances of Milwaukee Ballet and other local dance
companies as you can. Check the entertainment section of your newspaper for listings of upcoming
shows.
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Sources and Special Thanks
Writing and Lay-Out by Alyson Chavez, Director of Community Outreach
Sources:
Anderson, Jack. Ballet & Modern Dance. Princeton: Princeton Book Company, Publishers, 1992.
Barringer, Janice and Sarah Schlesinger. The Pointe Book. Hightstown: Princeton Book Company,
Publishers, 1998.
Beaumont, Cyril. The Ballet Called Swan Lake. London: Wyman, 1952.
Cohen, Jeanne Selma. The International Encyclopedia of Dance. New York: Harper Trophy, 1999.
Davidson, Susanna and Katie Daynes. Ballet Treasury. London: Usborne Publishing Ltd., 2004.
Greskovic, Robert. Ballet 101. New York: Hyperion, 1998.
Jones Carver, Donna and Sally E. Weatherford. The Ballet Books. Lewelyn & Company, 1995.
Karlinsky, Simon. “Tchaikovsky’s Loves and Russian Swans” in Why a Swan? Eds: Ross, Janice and Stephen
Cobbett Steinberg, 1989.
Miller, Nina. Swan Lake Study Guide – Colorado Ballet, 2000.
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York: Scholastic Press, 1999.
Wright, Karen. “Swan Facts.”
www.balletalert.com
www.ballet.co.uk
www.birding.com
www.brittanica.com
www.randomhouse.com
www.royal.gov.uk
www.wikipedia.com
Michael Pink – Artistic Director, Milwaukee Ballet
Board and Staff of Milwaukee Ballet
Cast & Crew of Swan Lake
Bird Brains – A Swan Quiz Answer Key
1. Mute, Black, Black-necked, Whooper, Trumpeter, Whistling (now called Tundra), Beswick
2. Australia
3. Ornithologist
4. The Mute Swan
5. Typically for life!
6. Cygnet
7. Cob
8. Pen
9. 13-17 weeks old when they weigh 20 pounds
10. 20-30 years
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Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation
Charles D. Ortgiesen Foundation, Inc.
Gene & Ruth Posner Foundation
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