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‘Dancing Odette/Odile: Ballet’s Great Dual Role’ : Panel Discussion by Francis Timlin September 16, 2003 -- The Phelps Center, Seattle On Tuesday evening, I attended
a panel discussion featuring the five ballerinas who will perform Odette/Odile
in the current performance run of “Swan Lake.” Moderated by Doug Fullington,
the panel included Patricia Barker, Carrie Imler, Louise Nadeau, Kaori
Nakamura and Noelani Pantastico. They bring a wide range of experience
and perspective to their interpretation of Odette/Odile. This is the third
time around for Ms. Barker (who performed the roles in 1992 and 1996);
the second for Ms. Nadeau (1996); and the first for Ms. Nadeau and Ms.
Pantastico. Ms. Nakamura performed only the Black Swan with the Royal
Winnipeg Ballet in 1994; however, she performed both roles when she was
15 in Japan. Patricia Barker indicated that
she thinks that everyone can find aspects of both characters somewhere
in their experience and it becomes a matter of tapping into that reserve
where the experience resides. She continues to find Odette to be the greater
challenge. On one level, it is the challenge of being, first, a swan
who transforms into a woman who is then fearful, defensive and trying
to escape, then becoming emotionally vulnerable. Showing all of those
transformations. Making a difference between the Act 2 and Act 4 pas de
deux. Following the sadness and resignation of the Act 4 pas de deux with
a retransformation into a swan. Odette is all about character development,
nuance and subtlety -- all of which requires baring your emotional soul
to the audience. There is no "hiding behind technique" possible.
In order for the performance to be a success, the audience must see all
of these transformations in Odette's character. For a report on Pacific Northwest Ballet's "Swan Lake" preview rehearsal, click here. Edited by Jeff. Please join the discussion in our forum. |
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Pacific
Northwest Ballet
Asked
whether they felt more suited to Odette or Odile, Carrie Imler immediately
responded that she felt much more at home with Odile. Noelani Pantastico,
a first-timer, identifies with the character of Odette and feels far less
comfortable with the character presented by Odile. Kaori Nakamura indicated
that when she was 15 and last performed both Odette and Odile, she was
immediately more comfortable with Odile because it involved clear-cut
technical challenges while Odette was more ephemeral. However, she now
likes the challenges of character development presented by Odette and
feels much more ready for the role than earlier in her career. Louise
Nadeau also used to like Odile better, but now feels just the opposite.
Mr. Fullington asked how they felt about the 32 fouettés and whether they
were really essential to the role, or whether other combinations of steps
might be just as effective. Happily, everyone responded that they felt
it was essential to rise to the occasion and the challenge of the 32 fouettés
and some expressed agreement with Pierina Legnani's choice to add them
in the 1895 version as an expression of Odile's steely resolve. There
was also general acknowledgement that not to do them would prove a great
disappointment to the expectations of many in the audience -- including
those of us who *always* count each fouetté.