According to the press release: “These performances continue the Grand Kyiv Ballet’s commitment to giving back to its community. A portion of the proceeds from this U.S. tour will go toward the restoration of the Main Ballet Academy of Ukraine and the repair of its children’s dormitory. By attending, audiences not only experience a world-class performance but also contribute to the preservation of a vital institution that has nurtured generations of gifted Ukrainian dancers”. All well and good. This is a formidable and uplifting pretense considering the turmoil in Ukraine, and every audience member is right in feeling that their ticket money is furthering a righteous cause.
Grand Kyiv Ballet in “Snow White” – Photo by Ksenia Orlova Photography.
All throughout the press release are the adjectives, “world-famous” and “internationally renowned” as well as “artistic excellence” sprinkled here and there to underline the expertise of this company. What I witnessed was something altogether different. I know of no Dance Company in the world that claims this kind of notoriety which does not have a Program for the audience to review in order to know the dancers, who did the sets, who made the costumes, who did the lighting, who made the music and who choreographed the dances. There was no paper program. This is sometimes passed over in favor of a digital program through a QR Code which saves paper and printing and is healthier for the environment. There was no QR Code either. There was no information at all available in order to know which dancers I was seeing doing which roles. I did not know, nor could I find out what music I was listening to nor which composer made it. Any company performing on World Class Stages has a program in some form. Also strange was the fact that there was no announcement at the Wilshire Ebell Theater concerning where to locate the exits and to silence phones. The curtain simply lifted and off we went. And more than a few people were videotaping the show through their phones held aloft. I doubt that this is the case at the Royal Ballet or the Paris Opera.
Grand Kyiv Ballet in “Snow White” – Photo by Ksenia Orlova Photography.
Also in the press release: “audiences can expect a breathtaking evening of classical ballet”. It is true. One may expect a breathtaking evening of classical ballet all one wants, it does not mean it will transpire. And it did not happen here. Clearly there were four soloist roles which required some technical training: Snow White, her Evil Stepmother, the Huntsman, and the Prince. Pardon me here as I do not know who they were – Snow White was lovely. She embodied the character and her technique was strong, simple and well-delivered. The Evil Stepmother was suitably contorted and had nothing more difficult in her choreography than a pique-posé pirouette en pointe; single. She also had the prerequisite developé a’la seconde head height. The Huntsman had a solo with a short sword that he was supposed to kill Snow White with. This was derivative of “Spartacus” and out of place here. His technique was fine. The Prince came out of nowhere in the first act and partnered Snow White in what can only make sense as a dream of hers to “find her Prince”. He was tall and princely and had decent ballet technique as well. Unfortunately, the Dwarves were given over to garrulous physical comedy choreography reminiscent of a child’s Bouncy House which looked sloppy, and the rest of the cast, that is; the forest creatures and the insects were all obviously students. This was a recital hawked and marketed as a professional Ballet.
Grand Kyiv Ballet in “Snow White” – Photo by Ksenia Orlova Photography.
The costumes were vibrant and well done, enabling us to know the characters immediately. The music seemed like an edited mélange of classical composers, but there is no way for me to know – I could be wrong. The sets were fantastic, all colorful and detailed and beautiful, whoever constructed and painted them.
Grand Kyiv Ballet in “Snow White” – Photo by Ksenia Orlova Photography.
My professional advice to Oleksandr Stoianov, Founder and Artistic Director of the Grand Kyiv Ballet is to put aside a few dollars from one of his companies tours and invest in a program which delineates responsibility for the production and gives credit where it belongs. That, and to heighten the caliber of the choreography so that what we see onstage may one day equal what is written in the press release.
For more information about the Grand Kyiv Ballet, please visit their website.
Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Grand Kyiv Ballet in “Snow White” – Photo by Ksenia Orlova Photography.
