LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Dance Review Swan Lake: It's No Ugly Duckling |
by Jeffrey L. Newman |
Matthew Borne makes no apologies for his unconventional interpretation of Tchaikovskys famed Swan Lake ballet. Using bare-chested men in the roles of the traditionally female-danced swans, satiric modern day references to Britains monarch and a subtle gay undercurrent, Bournes critically praised adaptation takes this timeless classic to a new echelon. But dont be mistaken. Theres nothing campy about Bournes vision, which opens October 8 at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York for a 16-week limited run. The story is rich in subtext and intensity, and is cleverly updated with a sense of danger and forbidden love as told through the trials and tribulations of a troubled Prince, who finds solace and obsession in the swan. "Its a gorgeous piece of text filled with raw emotions," the 38-year old British director and choreographer says of his risque and dazzling Swan Lake. "Its something you can attach your own story to. Its sexy, and it mixes humor with basic entertainment qualities. It has sort of a mystery to it. Even if you are familiar with the music, with different images and new things brought into it, you rediscover it." Through Bournes vision, which has been called audacious and mesmerizing by dance critics, the Prince is both bored and lonely, and without direction. He is based loosely on Prince Charles and several other monarchs. The swans appear in the Princes dreams, with no tutus, tap shoes or flamboyant outerwear. Clad in feathered trousers, the robust built men wear subtle accessories to subtly suggest their chatters. The lead swan beguiles the Prince, and depending on interpretation reflects the freedom and love he yearnsand easily one could read an overtone of gay romance between the two, especially in the third act when the relationship between the two men becomes overtly sexual. Despite casting well-defined male dancers in the principal roles of the swans, including the one that the prince falls in love with, both personally and metaphorically, the famed choreographer is quick to point out that this is not a "gay Swan Lake." "It can be read that way without a doubt. It certainly was going on in my mind when I created it. But its complex. The swan represents freedomthe prince escaping from what he doesnt have in his life. He sees in this creature all the things he wants to be," Bourne says. "Its very homoerotic. When I originally saw Swan Lake, to me it was so obvious (the Prince) was gay. But I dont want the show to be labeled too much. To call it an all-male Swan Lake is wrong, because there are female characters, and to call it a gay Swan Lake is a bit limiting," he adds. "If someone happens to see a gay love story in it thats great. It means a lot to a gay audience, but it isnt necessarily what it is about. Its interpreted differently by everyone." "At the end of the day it would be nice if they rediscover the music in some way and understood the music bettermore on an intellectual level. I want people to have an experience like no other and give them a night of theatre theyve not had before," he says. "Hopefully theyll walk away realizing you can tell a story without words and feel something. Ultimately, I hope people get it in the end." Swan Lake was a surprise hit in London, where Bourne says a ballet is luck if it runs for more than two weeks. The ballet ran for more than 21 weeks, making it the longest running ballet in the history of the West End. His follow-up show, Cinderella, ran for 16 weeksthe second longest running show there. Born and raised outside London, Bourne didnt enter the world of dance professionally until he was 22, awfully old for a newcomer. At 25, he earned his degree from the Laban Center in dance/theatre, and three years later helped found Adventures in Motion Pictures, an innovative dance troupe, which he still runs today. It produces small-to-medium size work, including Swan Lake. Since its inception, its earned three Olivier nominations (Britains equivalent to the Tony.) Borne, who has been dating one of the dancers from his company for nearly a year and a half, says being openly gay was never a tough decision for him, personally or professionally. "In the world I work in, its not an issue. Its always been very natural for me. I never had any kind of struggle. Like everyone, its always a bit of a problem in the beginning, but I dealt with that early on," says the choreographer, who came out when he was 18. While his updated version of "Cinderella," which may make its way to the U.S. next year, has no gay theme in it, he says his ultimate goal is to produce a real gay love story. "I dont want to do one where the characters end up with suffering or hating themselves. I want it to be simply a love story," he says. "I want it to be just simply a love story. I dont see why not. If done right, it can workand work quite well." Jeffrey L. Newman is a New York based writer and can be reached at editorjeff@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 14, October 16, 1998. |