State Ballet of Georgia’s Swan Lake **

Thanks to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, UK audiences are no longer able to enjoy what were once regular summer tours by the Bolshoi and Maryinsky ballet companies. So I was looking forward to seeing the State Ballet of Georgia’s version of Swan Lake at the London Coliseum, especially as its Artistic Director is Nina Ananiashvili, a former prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet.

Sadly, I was left disappointed by this company’s reworking of Tchaikovsky’s masterwork. In the first act (there are only two, with one interval) we are straight in with the dancing – there is little mime here and the Queen’s entrance is somewhat muted. (She is variously described in the programme notes as Queen or Princess Regent – some royal rank issue there!) The costumes are pretty enough, in browns and oranges, but on the opening night the dancing lacked sparkle and footwork was sloppy.

The main problem was the choreography, described as by Petipa and Ivanov with restaging by Alexey Fadeechev and Nina Ananiashvili. Yet, aside from the famous white act pas de deux, I recognized very little. The Act I pas de trois was unfamiliar and distinctly unmusical. At times the steps performed bore little connection to the music being played.

In both white acts the swans were not as well drilled as they should have been, with arms out of place. The ballroom scene – in a set which looked like the inside of a church – worked better with a nice mazurka. The Neapolitan dance was rather tame (yes, I know it has been said before, but I have yet to see a better version than Ashton’s effervescent one) and the czardas lacked oomph. The Spanish dancers formed part of Odile’s retinue and they provided some much needed glamour and energy, with impressive backbends.

Nino Samdashvili was a moving Odette but her Odile had an attack of the wobbles in the Black Swan pas de deux with Oleg Ligai, her Prince Siegfried. His acting left much to be desired – he was merely a tad put out, rather than emotionally devastated, when Odile’s deception was revealed. There was little chemistry between the two dancers and Siegfried needs to do more than just walk around the stage looking mournful.

A good Swan Lake will leave the audience moved and inspired, but this was not happening here. One final point: I was sitting in the stalls, slightly to the left of centre, yet I had a perfect view of Odette warming up in the wings throughout the first act. The stage technicians should ensure that dancers, when not on stage, are well hidden from all the sightlines in the auditorium. Yet I must say, at some points it was more entertaining watching her warm-up than what was happening on stage.

The State Ballet of Georgia in Swan Lake is at the London Coliseum until 8 September.