Russian Ballet Theater Brings ‘Swan Lake’ to Newark, Trenton and Sewell in February
Eusebio R. Sheffield
5 min read
Russian ballet theater presents a stunning new production by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Swan Lake to 52 cities across the United States, including four local stops in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Ballet fans will have the unique opportunity to enjoy this update on a classic, with dates set for Sunday, February 13 in Newark at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC); Tuesday, February 15 in Trenton at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial; Wednesday, February 16 in Sewell, South Jersey at the Investors Bank Performing Arts Center; and on Thursday February 17 in Reading at the Santander Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are on sale for the one-night show only in each city. Tickets can be purchased online at www.russianballettheatre.com/tickets.
The Russian Ballet Theater is excited to hit the road and tour with Swan Lake for the first time since 2019. Swan Lake is presented by co-producers Sasha Gorskaya and Gulya Hartwick. The production team includes choreographer Nadezhda Kalinina, production designer Sergey Novikov, SFX makeup designer Irina Strukova and principal ballet mistress Tatyana Linnik. Principal ballerina Olga Kifyak will dance the lead roles of Odette (The White Swan) and Odile (The Black Swan) – a unique and daring casting choice for the 2022 US tour. The cast also includes the incredible talents of Evgeny Svetlitsa as Prince Siegfried, Mikhail Ovcharov as Jester, Vasili Bogdan as Rothbart.
In Swan Lake, one of Tchaikovsky’s most ravishing scores comes with an enchanting love story inspired by Russian and German folk tales. On his 21st birthday, Prince Siegfried learns he is to marry from an array of princesses selected for him. Upset at not being allowed to marry for love, Siegfried escapes the night he spies and falls in love with the beautiful swan princess Odette. Will the two be able to break the curse that made her a swan or will conniving wizard Rothbart thwart their plans to be together forever?
The Russian Ballet Theater production of Swan Lake is brimming with the visual splendor and virtuoso dance that global audiences have come to expect from Russian classical dance. The 2022 tour delights by pairing centuries-old Russian traditions with delicious new inspirations.
Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for more info
“Although we tell the classic story of Swan Lake, there are tweaks here and there that make the show new and exciting,” said co-producer Gulya Hartwick. “We all have new choreographies. Usually there is one jester, we have five. We did what we could to make the production livelier and more colorful.
Choreographer Nadezhda Kalinina (Mariinsky Theatre, Teatro Lirico, Omsk State Musical Theatre) has lovingly retouched St. Petersburg’s oldest version of the ballet, adding her vision – and something more – that will undoubtedly leave the crowd filled with emotion. Along with a new prologue, it offers an explanation of the evil wizard Rothbart’s wrath, no doubt leaving audiences ready to dive into the action and beauty of the play.
RBT’s international ballet corps will attract talent from ten different countries for this new tour. Dancers will bring Kalinina’s choreography to life with exquisite new hand-painted sets and 150 new hand-sewn costumes, all designed by the young and accomplished Sergei Novikov (Mariinsky Theatre, Omsk State Musical Theatre, Hall Petersburg State Music Hall) in the centuries-old tradition of the great masters of the theater.
The great artistry of award-winning Irina Strukova will add a magical touch to this already magnificent production. Known for her film makeup creations (Netflix, HBO, boobies rich asian), Strukova created special-effect hairstyles and makeup that, along with the dazzling costumes, further illuminate this whimsical, sparkly fantasy.
Principal ballerina Olga Kifyak will dance the lead roles of Odette (The White Swan) and Odile (The Black Swan). This is a major feat as many productions feature two dancers playing both roles. Kifyak said: “Swan Lake is a difficult ballet to dance. I dance two roles, opposing each other. In the first act, you see sweet Odette – purity, modesty, perfection. So the dance should look light and effortless, but it takes a lot – the more delicate it seems, the more power it takes.And then, in act 3 – Odile comes in. She’s a mean character – insidious, sarcastic, achieving its goal.”
She continued, “Almost every theater has two different dancers playing Odette/Odile. I love dancing in both roles. It’s fascinating to have the opportunity to be two completely different characters. is crucial. The audience has to believe you; there can be no movement, mimicry or facial expression flaws from the character.”
The talented cast also includes Evgeny Svetlitsa as Prince Siegfried, Mikhail Ovcharov as the jester and Vasili Bogdan as Rothbart.
Tickets for the shows listed below are available at www.russianballettheatre.com/tickets and also by visiting Ticketmaster. All sites offer on-site or nearby parking. All sites are accessible by public transport.
VENUE AND SHOW INFORMATION
Swan Lake will be coming to Newark at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Sunday, February 13, with a show set for 7:00 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $135. Please review the updated health and safety protocols for this venue on their website at www.njpac.org. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is located at 1 Center Street, Newark, NJ 07102.
On Tuesday, February 15, Swan Lake will dance in Trenton, New Jersey with a stop at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial. Show time is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $90. Please review the updated health and safety protocols for this venue on their website at https://www.nj.gov/state/memorial/. The Patriots Theater at War Memorial is located at 1 Memorial Drive, Trenton, NJ 08608.
On Wednesday, February 16, Swan Lake will come to South Jersey and the Philadelphia area with an overnight stop only in Sewell, New Jersey at the Investors Bank Performing Arts Center. This stop is just minutes from South Philly on the Walt Whitman Bridge, in a location renowned for hosting local and regional dance and ballet recitals and competitions. Showtime for this performance is 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39 to $89. The Investors Bank Performing Arts Center is one of the largest indoor venues in the Philadelphia area, located at 519 Hurffville-Cross Keys Rd., Sewell, NJ 08080. With 1,750 seats on the first floor and 600 seats on the balcony, the Investors Bank Performing Arts Center has hosted a myriad of events over the past 23 years. For location and health updates, visit https://www.wtps.org/Page/15570.
Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for more info
On Thursday, February 17, Swan Lake will travel to Reading for a single night at the Santander Performing Arts Center, with a show set for 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $55 to $95 for this show. The Santander Performing Arts Center is located at 136 North 6th Street Reading, PA 19601. For more information about the venue, visit www.santander-arena.com.
Russian ballet theater is a ballet company created to provide people with the opportunity to experience the breathtaking beauty of Russian classical ballet in their hometown. Founded in 2015, the RBT team shares a passion for enriching the traditions of Russian ballet through brilliant and critically acclaimed new productions of world classics. RBT has had the honor of performing successfully to large audiences across the United States in cities such as New York, Minneapolis, Brooklyn, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Colorado Springs and Baltimore, to name a few. name a few. The cast is made up of professional dancers with years of training in most pristine Russian theaters.
