KEY POINTS:
At the heart of the Kiev Ballet's charm is its huge corps de ballet - even this travelling troupe on an extensive tour of Australia, plus a drop-in visit to New Zealand, has about 50 dancers.
And at least half that number donned their white tutus for Friday
night's performance of Swan Lake.
They filled the stage in moving row after row of exquisitely precise ensemble dancing, 50 softly elegant arms and 50 arched and dainty feet producing not only visual delights but a feathery swishing sound of arms against tulle and satin shoes so lightly brushing the floor.
That is a spectacle that smaller companies cannot achieve.
The Kiev Ballet's long pedigree and sterling Russian tradition is lushly obvious in its gorgeous costumes and wonderful backdrops conjuring up the baroque sumptuousness of courts gone by, moody lakes, tragic forests, and in the case of The Sleeping Beauty, performed yesterday afternoon, a magnificent palace interior and a gorgeous lilac grove.
But it was also obvious this touring company is very young and its most famous stars are dancing elsewhere. While the girls were hard to fault, some of the back-row boys looked a little pudgy and sloppy of line.
Principal dancer Viktor Ishchuk's perfect precision, speed and control was in total contrast, and perhaps highlighted those failings. His Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty were a delight for his puckish charm and peacock strut, as well as for his great elevation and that magical ability to float in the air before returning to earth in a perfect landing.
Natalia Domracheva shares Ishchuk's gold-medal status as a rising star and they make a perfect pair.
While her Odette did not immediately capture the usual vulnerability of the role, she shone as the animated and treacherous Odile and again as a most gorgeous Aurora, in Sleeping Beauty, making the difficult look easy in her perfection of fluidity and line. Casting lists were determinedly unavailable at either performance - which is just as well for Saturday evening's Rothbart (the wicked sorcerer), who was unsteady in his landings and presented some truly gawky lower lines.
Carabosse, the wicked old witch, was a far better bad influence, yesterday.
The other soloists yesterday were also stunning and the final act sizzled along - in contrast to the rather strained story telling and plodding pageantry that went before.
But that too, is part of this tradition, so truly and valuably preserved by companies like the Kiev Ballet.
