Swanlake in Oslo

Yolanda Correa as Odette/Odile and Yoel Carreno as prince Siegfried, Nasjonalballetten
. Photo: Erik Berg

By Henning Høholt. Photo: Erik Berg.

OSLO/NORWAY: As situated at the new Oslo Operahouse, in the harbour of Oslo the balletchief Ingrid Lorentzen has, naturally, been inspired by the swans in the harbour. So this season she has even let her brilliant dance company, The Norwegian National Ballet, dance in two different Swan Lakes.

Yolanda Correa as Odile. Photo: Erik Berg

Among whom the one, A Swan Lake  choreographef by Aleksander Ekman, Swedish choreographer, was partly (2

. act) danced in water, a large bassin at the opera stage, a big success. Followed by a “real” old fashion Swanlake by Anna-Marie Holmes
. A revival of a popular production from 1997, made during Dinna Bjørns 12 year long chief periode in Oslo, when also Ingrid Lorentzen took her first steps in the company, Dinna Bjørn tells to Kulturkompasset.

Yoel Carreno as prince Siegfried
. Photo: Erik Berg

Five different casts in the leading roles as the Swanprincess, the very demanding double role as both the white and also the black swan. Odette/Odile and as the prince Siegfried are being presented
. This is interesting for the audience, as the five casts, of course, are different personalityes, and still they perform the same choreography, the results are different.
For a ballet lowing critic, it is a great pleasure to follow how well, and how different they create their roles, by enclosing their own personalitees in to the roles.

The Norwegian National Ballet, with Yolanda Correa as Odette and Yoel Carreno as prince Siegfried in the end of second act. Photo: Erik Berg

Our cast experience no three was with the outstanding couple Yolanda Correa as Odette/Odile and Yoel Carreno as prince Siegfried, both permanent soloists at the Oslo company, both from Cuba. Together with their Norwegian von Rothbart, Ole Willy Falkhaugen. And the young virtuose Lucas Lima (Brasil) as the Jooker.

In this cast we met the highest possible technically dancing, where many details are close to perfect. Still technically brilliant as Odette however Yolanda Correa in fact dont have the most beautiful “swan arms”, as other Odettes are presenting in this production, and i feel that she is best as Odile, where her Cuban temperament and virtuosity is at its very best, that role is as created specially for her, in her expression as Odile she reminds me a lot of another brilliant Odile, Leonie Leahy, some decades ago

Yoel Carreno,  as mentioned also from Cuba, looks like a relaxed, handsome Nordic Prince, a safe partner for his Odette/Odile, and brilliant in his own soloparts of different kind and temperament. A good couple together.

Yolanda Correa and Yoel Carreno; Photo: Erik Berg

Thomas Halvorsen does a good job as the teacher, who in the thitd act is Toastmaster (brødrister på norsk?) and presenting all the dances from different nationalityes following the princesses actually present eventually to be married to the prince.

Who dont find the one he is looking after, as his mind in his memory of the white swan princess Odette, that he met last night by the lake, when he was out hunting.

A charming detail in this production is then that he chose to give the flowers, who is supposed to be given to the princess he choose, is being handed over the the Jooker. A Positive signal in Norway, where gay marriage is permitted and accepted.

4 charming small swanes in their pas de quattre, allways a hit. Photo: Erik Berg