Hungarian National Ballet's Swan Lake is long but rich in detail

Aliya Tanykpayeva and Dmitry Timofeev in Swan Lake

Hungarian National Ballet in Act 1 Swan Lake

Hungarian National Ballet in Act 2 Swan Lake

Aliya Tanykpayeva and Dmitry Timofeev in Act 3 Swan Lake

Hungarian National Ballet in Act 3 Swan Lake

By Graham Watts, 23 March 2023

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“one could truly believe that this was a woman who had just emerged from her enchantment as a swan”

Reviewed at Hungarian State Opera: Auditorium, Budapest on 18 March 2023

Swan Lake (Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Rudi van Dantzig)

Hungarian National Ballet

David Coleman, Conductor

Toer van Schayk, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Jan Hofstra, Lighting Designer

Aliya Tanykpayeva, Dancer

Dmitry Timofeev, Dancer

Lili Felméry, Dancer

Claudia García Carriera, Dancer

Valerio Palumbo, Dancer

Jessica Carulla Leon, Dancer

Balazs Majoros, Dancer

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José Martínez has envisioned a Don Quichotte that recalls the original 19th century choreography while also acknowledging some of the notable 20th century versions and it's splendid looking.

****1

Dutch National Ballet's reimagined La Bayadère triumphs

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Dutch National Ballet's new production of La Bayadère does away with the ballet’s problematic gestures and movements, allowing the choreography to truly shine.

****1

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American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

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NYCB has a winning triple bill with its Balanchine + Ratmansky program. Excellent dancing and contrasting works sends the audience home in buoyant mood.

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Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.