tuesday.

[sunfright]

It's been a weird day, quiet, kinda down. It's also been too warm out, so that hasn't helped on my mood. I went to the library to turn in my books and pick up another (on Marie Antoinette), but didn't stay long because they were housing a conference for archaeologists and there were just too many fucking people, omg. Picked up my Claudine book on the way home, too, from the bookshop. Then, I went full zombie mode until K. came home and it was time for dinner.

I've been obsessed with Swan Lake today. Not with Odette or Odile as per usual, but with the four princess dances, the Neapolitan (called the Italian in the 2015 Danish version), the Hungarian, the Spanish and the Russian. In the current RDB production, these four dances were tailor-choreographed by two resident members of the company, Gregory Dean (Hungarian and Spanish) and Oliver Starpov (Russian and Italian). I personally think they are the best parts of the whole ballet and I always look forward to seeing them. The casting of them is always such a surprise, because they're generally used to feature younger, fresher talent.

The Hungarian is uploaded to YouTube! The others aren't available outside the full ballet as found on the Royal Danish Theatre's streaming site (which is only accessible within Denmark), but I've managed to dig up some photos from the productions original Tumblr site, back when they premiered this in 2015.

Watch on YouTube

Here it's Gudrun Bojesen, former RDB superstar, dancing the Hungarian princess with her entourage of four, where one of them is Astrid Elbo, a very solid gold soloist now, but a corps dancer back then.

Ida Praetorius, current RDB superstar, when she was a corps dancer, dancing the Italian princess. I love this costume so much!




And former soloist, Femke Mølbach Slot, as the Russian princess in the grand finale of the variation. It's, choreography-wise, my favourite of the four dances.



Finally, Amy Watson, former principal, now assistent director, as the Spanish princess in gorgeous costume, though choreography-wise this variation always struggles to hold my attention. It requires a dancer with a lot of presence and bamf to really sell it.



Alexandra Lo Sardo as seen here is one of the few who I've seen nail it.



I think I might have a fanfic idea for these four princesses now, but I won't say too much, because I still have the Marie Antoinette idea rummaging around my head, too, so I have to just give myself some peace and quiet to pick what I want to work on. Luckily there are still a week's time until sign-ups for smallfandombang, so I have time to try both ideas out and see which one is easiest to work with. Easiest to write. They both have their pros and cons.

But Swan Lake is my fandom, it's home, so I might be a bit biased here.

Plus, it gives me a good excuse to rewatch the second act ballroom scene so many times I end up feeling physically sick from it, probably.

Win.

Comments

[jennaria]

My knowledge of Swan Lake is, uh, out of date (I haven't seen a production in sweet forever), so I don't know if it's a usual thing to dress the princesses in ways that evoke the Black Swan, or if it's just this production that added that nifty detail.

[sunfright]

Probably just this production. I haven't seen it anywhere else either. I remember the costume designer being quoted for having said that she wanted to create the feeling that Siegfried had become obsessed with swans, so the whole ball has a bird theme, including especially the princesses. My friends and I used to call the 2015 RDB production "Swanpunk" for it, haha.