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Swan Lake
Contemporary dance company Adventures In Motion Pictures' triumphant modern re-interpretation of Swan Lake, with its cast of male swans, has turned tradition upside down and has taken the ballet fraternity by storm. Never has such a contemporary re-working of a traditional ballet thrilled both ardent critics and modern dance enthusiasts in such equal measure. Originally broadcast on the PBS series "Great Performances" (season 26, episode 15).
Release : | 1998 |
Rating : | 8.5 |
Studio : | BBC, Adventures in Motion Pictures, NVC Arts, |
Crew : | Set Designer, Camera Operator, |
Cast : | Adam Cooper Scott Ambler Fiona Chadwick |
Genre : | Music |
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Reviews
Simply Perfect
Really Surprised!
While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
I love ballet, and I love Swan Lake. Swan Lake with males as swans and a somewhat anti-romantic(in musical eras that is) approach in some scenes is a different production, but I like it for its uniqueness.And it is wonderfully done all the same. The story is classic and haunting, and the music is utterly amazing with a sense of elegance and melancholy about it.The costumes and sets are big and grand, not to mention they look wonderful. The camera work and editing helps hugely, and David Frame's conducting of a 27-member orchestra is commendable.The choreography is fantastic, not just in the solos and duets but also in the group dances which are very energetic without feeling too heavy. The performances also add a lot, Scott Ambler is great as the Prince and Fiona Chadwick is a suitably icy queen, but it is Adam Cooper's show all the way.In conclusion, different, unique yet absolutely wonderful and not one to forget in a while. 10/10 Bethany Cox
This work of art is just stunningly beautiful and powerful; I saw it performed on stage in London and bought the DVD version the next day. The soundtrack is excellent, the orchestra is well balanced and well conducted. The on-stage performances are breathtaking and moving. My only complaints relate to the vision mixing; a few dodgy camera angles and the rapidity of some of the cuts. This is ballet and although TV directors have a golden opportunity to enhance the experience by showing far more than a square-on proscenium arch shot, they should only rarely cut to anything closer than a mid-shot; certainly not for just one second, it is disorientating and it ruins the flow. Despite the fact that I think the editing leaves a lot to be desired I still give it 10 for sheer mastery in every other area.
Matthew Bourne's Adventures in Motion Pictures company produced this version of the classic ballet, using an almost all-male cast, first as s stage show and then immortalised in this filmed version: Adam Cooper and Scott Ambler head the group of excellent dancers.This version has the prince enthralled by a male swan which eventually leads to a far bloodier destruction than in the well-loved version - the choreography is powerful and the settings are reminiscent of 30s and 40s movie sets. This company - now known as New Adventures - are clever and with their later productions The Car Man (a version of Carmen) and Nutcracker! (a version of The Nutcracker) have continued to add a great deal to the modern dance movement.
I remember seeing this on TV a few years back, and I only thought of it again when I saw Billy Elliot. Billy grows up to be Adam Cooper (the main swan) in swan lake. It was amazing. On the point of the supposedly gay Prince, I thinks Adam's explanation is the best. The swan is not a guy in a swan's outfit, he is a swan. You have to think of him as a creature not a gender. The Prince fell in love with a beautiful swan not a man in swan suit. And Adam Cooper is gorgeous, and absolutely brilliant!