Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights at Clowes Hall

On Friday, October 16, the Grand Kyiv Ballet brought its production of Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights to Clowes Memorial Hall in Indianapolis. The curtain went up at 7:00 PM, so if you missed it, you're now looking back at a show that has already run its course. Still, it's a good example of what this touring company does, and it's worth knowing about for the next time they come through.

The company is an independent touring ballet troupe made up of Ukrainian dancers from Kyiv. According to the company's website, it was created by Oleksandr Stoianov, a premiere of the National Opera of Ukraine, and it started performing in 2014. The dancers now work out of the International Ballet Academy in Bellevue, Washington, where they are based while living in refuge from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Stoianov serves as artistic director, and his wife, Kateryna Kuhar, is also a principal dancer with the company and with the National Opera of Ukraine. Both trained at the Kyiv State Choreographic College.

The Indianapolis show used Tchaikovsky's familiar score, paired with a light design and costumes that lit up on stage. The cast included Chihiro Tamai as Odette and Odile, Viktor Tomashek as Prince Siegfried, and Denys Kovalenko as Baron von Rothbart. Other roles were shared among a group of soloists, and the corps de ballet included the big and little swans, the brides, and the waltz dancers. The company's listing describes the production as a reworking of the classic story with strong visuals, and the lighting was the main thing that set it apart from more traditional stagings of the ballet.

Before the performance, guests could head downstairs to the Krannert Room, which opened when the lobby doors opened to the public. The Marquee Club also offered a private lounge with an open bar before the show. Those extras were a nice way to settle in before the lights dimmed, and they gave the evening a bit of a social feel before the first act began.

The company has been on the road for years. Its website lists projects such as Giselle, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker – Symphony of Lights, and The Sleeping Beauty, along with a long list of tour dates across the United States, Canada, and Europe. A portion of its performers' earnings goes to support families back in Ukraine, and the company has also helped Ukrainian ballet dancers find places to train abroad. Those are the kinds of details that stick with you after you leave the theater, and they give the evening some extra context.

If you want to read more about the Indianapolis date, the Butler Arts Presents listing for the performance is a good place to start, and the company's own site has details on its other productions. Keep an eye on the local listings the next time the company returns to the area, since they tend to run a range of ballets that pair well with a night out downtown.