DANCE REVIEW : Unexpected Ripples Change Face of ‘Swan Lake’

Ballet cast-changes aren’t usually news. But there are exceptions. Case in point: Japanese-born Miyako Yoshida, scheduled to join the Royal Ballet later this year. However, the withdrawal of two injured Covent Garden principals from the weekend performances of “Swan Lake” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion caused Yoshida to make her debut in the leading role earlier than planned--indeed, before she had fully learned this version.

Currently a principal with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Yoshida sometimes incorporated passages from the Birmingham “Swan Lake” in her performance of Odette/Odile on Friday opposite former Bolshoi Ballet firebrand Irek Mukhamedov. But the result never looked patchy or uncertain.

To the contrary, Yoshida efficiently contrasted the two halves of this dual role (adopting a sharper, more pulled up line as Odile), ventured more Black Swan fouettes than either of her Saturday counterparts and seemed as appreciative of Mukhamedov’s superb partnering as the audience had reason to be.

Unfortunately, this tiny young woman could not command the majestic physicality expected of a Covent Garden Swan Queen and on this occasion did not compensate with any expressive depth. But her technical power yielded some memorable effects (including the softest, slowest White Swan turns imaginable) and her rapport with Mukhamedov never faltered.

Although Mukhamedov’s technical control proved spotty on Friday, his dramatic conviction and generosity of spirit as Siegfried warmed the production immeasurably. Other changes from the Thursday cast included Nicola Roberts and Peter Abegglen in the Neapolitan Dance: aggressive in the manner of competition dancing and consequently charmless.

The Saturday matinee featured a whole new slate of principals plus a new conductor, Anthony Twiner, who emphasized lyricism rather than drive and set the seal on a performance offering abundant testimony to the survival of traditional Royal Ballet refinement among the men.

Witness William Trevitt in the Pas de Trois: technically impressive yet utterly relaxed in his attack, a classical dancer of distinction. Witness Ashley Page as Rothbart: slinky, sardonic and far more menacing than anyone wearing his ridiculous costume had a right to be.

Witness, above all, Jonathan Cope: the original Siegfried in this production and an artist of great style, intensity and technical exactitude. Intriguingly volatile in the role, he was ill-matched with the dogged and often downright stony Deborah Bull as Odette/Odile. Strangely enough, their emotional connection proved strongest in Act 3--suggesting that Odile might be the right woman for Siegfried after all.

However, Bull couldn’t produce the bravura needed for a satisfying Black Swan, with the fouettes especially problematic in number and musicality. And though the last act did fully showcase her lyric fluidity, she looked cautious and prosaic in the crucial White Swan duet of Act 2.