© David Kelly Special Feature on AB in July 2005 Ballet.co magazine Australian Ballet reviews Australian Ballet Photographs ABTalk - discuss the Australian Ballet UK tour Australain Ballet website

The Swan Lake story

On the evening before her wedding, the apprehensive young maiden, Odette, wandered the palace and became doubtful of her betrothed Prince Siegfried’s love.

After the wedding Odette, so very much in love with new husband, realised it was a certain Baroness who really owned his heart. Already fragile, Odette became so distressed that by royal command she was committed to a sanatorium.

With her spirit broken, Odette could only find escape in a frozen dream where swan-like maidens, much like herself, would calm her fevered mind and where, for a brief time, it seemed as if Siegfried loved her alone.

Odette at the sanatorium © David Kelly AB Swan Lake in pictures 22 pictures tell the story

Some months later, Odette left the white loneliness of the sanatorium to seek and reclaim her husband, now fully under the sway of the Baroness.

Having appeared uninvited at an evening party given by the Baroness, Odette’s calm beauty and confident purity of spirit caused Siegfried to fall deeply in love with her. The jealous Baroness attempted to have Odette returned to the sanatorium, but before she could be seized, Odette fled into the night.

Siegfried then discovered the terrified Odette near the lake and for a short time the couple were united in ecstatic embrace. But even as she lay in the arms of her husband, Odette knew there would be no peace for her ever-troubled mind and she was only to find ultimate release in the depths of the dark lake of swans.

For the rest of his life, Prince Siegfried never loved again, but mourned ever his lost Odette.

Act I
Scene I Prince Siegfried’s quarters
Scene II Wedding festivities

Act II
Scene I The Sanatorium
Scene II The Lake

Act III
An evening with the Baroness

Act IV
The Lake
 

Graeme Murphy
Choreographer and Artistic Director, Sydney Dance Company

Choreographer Graeme Murphy was appointed Artistic Director to Sydney Dance Company in 1976 – then known as The Dance Company [NSW]. He has since created a remarkable repertoire of diverse works, including thirty full-length productions and is particularly noted for his work with Australian music, including many commissioned scores.

As well as for Sydney Dance Company, he has created new works for The Australian Ballet, [Tekton, Beyond Twelve, Meander, Gallery, Nutcracker and most recently Swan Lake]; for Nederlands Dans Theater [Song of the Night]; for the Royal New Zealand Ballet [Orpheus] and a solo work for Mikhail Baryshnikov [Embodied]. He has choreographed for the Canadian Opera Company [Death in Venice] and The Metropolitan Opera, New York [Samson and Dalila]. He has also choreographed for the skaters Torvill and Dean, creating their World Tour Company’s production as well as the TV Special Fire and Ice.

In 1988 he was commissioned by the Australian Bicentennial Authority to create a national dance event, VAST, involving seventy dancers from four state dance companies – Australian Dance Theatre, West Australian Ballet, The Queensland Ballet and Sydney Dance Company.

He began directing for The Australian Opera in 1984 with Brian Howard’s Metamorphosis, subsequently directing an acclaimed production of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, followed by Richard Strauss’ Salome and Hector Berlioz’ The Trojans, the latter bringing The Australian Opera together with Sydney Dance Company in a lavish spectacle.   Side by side with Associate Director Janet Vernon, he has led Sydney Dance Company on more than twenty international tours to Asia, Europe, North and South America.

In 2001 he created Tivoli – a dance musical that paid tribute to the history of the Tivoli theatres in Australia. Tivoli was an historic co-production between The Australian Ballet and Sydney Dance Company, created for the occasion of the Centenary of Federation. Tivoli went on to win four Australian Dance Awards including Outstanding Achievement in Choreography.

In 2002 he created a unique and entirely new Swan Lake, commissioned by The Australian Ballet in its 40th Anniversary year, which was conceived in close collaboration with Janet Vernon and designer Kristian Fredrikson.

Graeme is the recipient of three honorary doctorates and was awarded an AM for services to dance in 1982. He was honoured at the Inaugural Sydney Opera House Honours in 1998 and was named by the National Trust of Australia as a National Living Treasure in 1999. In 2001, he was presented with the Helpmann Award for Best Choreography for Body of Work – A Retrospective, Gala Performance. In 2002, Graeme was honoured with the prestigious James Cassius Award, in recognition of his many career achievements. In 2003, he was awarded the Australian Government’s Centenary Medal for services to the development of dance in Australia. For SwanLake, he received a Green Room Award for Best Collaboration [with Janet Vernon and Kristian Fredrikson] and the Australian Dance Award for Best Choreography.

Kristian Fredrikson
Designer

Since leaving New Zealand in the early 1960’s, Kristian Fredrikson has become one of Australia’s most experienced and sought after designers. A former graphic artist and newspaper journalist, Kristian studied design with the late Harry Baker in Wellington and has since won numerous awards for his work.

Kristian’s designs have featured in productions for opera, drama, ballet, film and television. He was one of a specialised team of designers working on the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

On his arrival in Australia, Kristian was Resident Designer for Melbourne Theatre Company for eight years. During this time he worked on a number of productions for the company including Three Sisters, The Servant of Two Masters and War and Peace. Kristian has designed a large number of productions for a variety of Australian and New Zealand opera, theatre and ballet companies including the Australian Ballet (Cinderella, Coppelia and The Nutcracker), The Australian Opera (Norma, Turandot, The Merry Widow and Salome), Western Australian Opera (Albert Herring), The Royal New Zealand Ballet (Swan Lake, Peter Pan and A Christmas Carol), South Australian Opera (Verdi’s Macbeth), the Sydney Dance Company (King Roger and Body of Work) and Sydney Theatre Company (Macbeth, The School for Scandal and A Doll’s House). He created the costume designs and scenario (with Graeme Murphy) of the Australian Ballet/Sydney Dance Company co-production Tivoli which toured nationally and he designed and co-conceived Graeme Murphy’s highly acclaimed production of Swan Lake for The Australian Ballet which earned him a 2003 Green Room Award for Concept and Realisation and 2003 Helpmann Award for Best Scenic Design. He recently designed Pecos Bill for Houston Ballet’s triple bill The Tales of Texas.

Kristian is a recipient of four Erik Design Awards and has won prestigious Green Room Awards, an AFI Award and a Penguin Award. In 1999 Kristian received the Australian Dance Award for Services to Dance.

Awards For SwanLake

Winner of four Helpmann Awards in 2003:
Best Ballet or Dance Work 
Best Choreography in a Ballet or Dance Work
Best Scenic Design – Kristian Fredrikson
Best Female Dancer in a Ballet or Dance Work – Simone Goldsmith

Winner of four Green Room Awards 2003: 
Outstanding Production-Dance
Best Male Dancer – Steven Heathcote
Best Female Dancer – Simone Goldsmith
Concept and Realisation

Winner of the Mo Award 2003:
Dance Performer of the Year – Steven Heathcote