Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 6/8/2008

Question
Hi, i need to discribe the difference between the characters and how they are potrayed from the original version of swan lake and those in Matthew Bournes version can you help?
Thanks
Andy

Answer
Hi Andy. I suggest you rent a couple of the traditional Swan Lakes - maybe a very old one, and a newer one. You'll see differences between them. Classical ballet does change that way. Then rent Matthew Bourne's and go from there. Unless you've seen it recently.

I think anyone's interpretation would be subjective - at least most choreographers think so. Though, of course, critics and those who teach dance criticism do not.

For instance, when the late Erik Bruhn re-staged Swan Lake for the National Ballet of Canada, he made Von Rothbart an evil woman. There were many comments made about how Freudian that was....and how terrible it was to make a change like that in a traditional ballet. Nevertheless, the company used it successfully for many years.

I do not have an academic viewpoint on interpreting ballets - I think it is exclusively opinion. Maybe not a popular stance - but oh well.

Sorry I can't help further. I could say more, but it would just be opinion.........and yours count more!