23 Jan 2025

Varna International Ballet in Swan Lake

Varna International Ballet are currently touring the UK with 3 ballet classics. We caught their Swan Lake in Basingstoke…

Varna International Ballet in ‘Swan Lake’. © Elliott FranksVarna International Ballet in ‘Swan Lake’. © Elliott Franks

Varna International Ballet
Swan Lake
★★★✰✰
Basingstoke, The Anvil
22 January 2025
instagram.com/varna_international_ballet
www.anvilarts.org.uk

Breathless. That’s my main recollection of the Varna Swan Lake, a production taken at swift pace, delivered with much youthful enthusiasm and energy to an appreciative audience.

Varna may be on the Bulgarian Black Sea, but its International” ballet company is aptly named, with most of the soloist dancers hailing from elsewhere — especially Italy and France. Like the ballet competition the city is famous for, the company embraces youth, and there are certainly no old bones on stage here. They absolutely need that youthful energy, that’s for sure, as they pack in 75 shows over two months at 20 theatres. Of course many of those theatres would never see an Arts Council-supported classical company like English National Ballet or Birmingham Royal Ballet. And heaven forbid The Royal Ballet should ever do a turn in the provinces, like it used to. No ifs or buts: I applaud the Varna company and promoter Raymond Gubbay for delivering a much-loved art across the country at an affordable price.

While the dancers may be international, this two-year-old production is, as you might expect, Soviet in style and clearly designed for touring. The sets are beyond minimal, with much of the scene-setting relying on simple animated projections on the backcloth. The animations attempt to guide you through what is a complex plot, but I wouldn’t say this is a Swan Lake where the narrative flows easily and logically. Part of this is down to the youth of the company, which are driven more by getting the tough classical steps right than on delivering narrative subtleties. The costumes are a real mix: some are wonderful, like the traditional tutus for the swans, while others, such as the attire for the Prince’s mother, resemble a job lot of weird-coloured fabrics got off a market stall and hastily assembled by an enthusiastic neighbour. Tastes vary, of course!

What I truly appreciated in this Swan Lake was the brio the company brought to all the group dancing — the corps particularly deserves much praise for their sharpness and for creating the magical spectacle you want. The Dance of the Cygnets was delightfully tight and satisfying too, and it probably received the most applause of the night, and rightly so.

The lead roles also feature some fine dancing — at least individually, if not so much together in pas de deux. Giovanni Pompei’s Prince Siegfried has a terrifically high jump and sharp technique that impressed; but in partnering his ballerina (Pauline Faget), things were less assured, and there were some awkward moments. As a partnership, they have some way to go to achieve the level where their movement is taken for granted, allowing them to engage with the drama and convincingly portray their love.

I really warmed to Benno, the Prince’s friend (Giacomo Ammazzini), and his courtesans (Andrea Conforti and Aino Louhivara), who delivered a fine pas de trois, although he pushed so hard in a solo that it went very awry for a moment. But that’s the wonderful thing about seeing a youthful troupe — they go for it, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The production could benefit from a couple of older, seasoned, dramatic, dancers as the Prince’s mother and Rothbart; they would add narrative heft and also set an example to the broader company in how to act and fill out the stage action.

I’m not going to plod through the story here, but if you don’t know the plot, it’s worth reading - either generally or specifically in the programme. Suffice it to say, it has a happy ending rather than the united forever in death” we are more accustomed to. Certainly, the final cameo moments, including the entire flock of swans, are moving and uplifting. Told concisely over two acts in hours, it’s a mixed night, but I’m glad I got to see it.

Last night, they were in Basingstoke, and tomorrow they open 140 miles away in Ipswich with Romeo and Juliet. Besides R&J and Swan Lake, Varna are also touring The Nutcracker, through to 5 March 2025 — full tour details. It’s great to see them in the UK, and I think the dancers will learn much from such a condensed visit; it would undoubtedly be a shame if they didn’t return.