Lauren Baron
BRANT NEWS

One of the most compelling and beautiful masterpieces in ballet history is coming to the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts stage.

State Ballet Theatre of Russia and Hollywood Entertainment Group present Swan Lake on Sunday, Feb. 12.

“You don’t get to see something so powerful and beautiful every day in your life,” said Anastasia Dukhnina, manager of public relations for Hollywood Entertainment Group. “I consider this to be one of the masterpieces in the ballet art.”

Composed by Pytor Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake is the story of Odette, a princess who is turned into a swan by a sorcerer’s curse.

Dancing the classical ballet are 65 dancers from the State Ballet Theatre of Russia. The ballet company, hailing from Voronezh, Russia, is currently on a North American tour staging three classical ballets, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.

“They’ve brought the best scenery, the best sets, wonderful music and costumes,” Dukhnina said. “Everything is the way it’s usually performed in Russia on their home stage. It’s going to be a very beautiful production.”

Though the ballet company staged The Nutcracker in Brantford in December, Dukhnina said the two productions offer vastly different experiences.

“Both are classical ballets with beautiful music by the same composer, but Swan Lake is more of a classical drama with a happy ending and I think that the choreography of the ballet is more beautiful,” she said.

What makes Swan Lake so special, Dukhnina said, is its seamless blend of music and choreography.

“Ballet always has two parts: music and dance,” she said. “You have the combination of a very talented composer and choreographer that would understand the music and will manage to combine the music and dance together so there is something incredible going on onstage.”

Adding to the beauty of the performance is State Ballet Theatre of Russia’s commitment to classical Russian ballet. It’s performance of Swan Lake adheres to the original music and choreography, dating back to 1875.

“American ballet is very different from Russian ballet or ballet in Canada or other countries,” Duhknina said. “Russia has been famous for its classical ballet because there was such a stress on traditions.”

During the 18th and 19th centuries, ballet masters and teachers were brought to Russia from Italy and France, creating a love and passion for the art in Russia.

“I guess the heritage comes from the Russian monarchy supporting the art and contributing a lot of money and enthusiasm,” Dukhnina said. “Ballet companies in Russia are trying to maintain those classical traditions of ballet because the country was happy, was lucky, to have the best of the best working in the country.”

It’s that tradition and heritage that make Swan Lake a show not to miss, Dukhnina said.

“When there is a travelling exhibit of certain artists or a famous musician comes to town, you feel this is your golden opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime chance, to get close to something spectacular,” she said. “I would consider this ballet one of those things.”

Tickets to see Swan Lake range in price from $25 to $55 and can be purchased at the Sanderson Centre box office at 88 Dalhousie St., by phone at 519-758-8090 or online at www.sandersoncentre.ca.