Living Up to Its Status

A classic work of art, Swan Lake is heartrending and technically complex, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet is well up to the challenge of this amazing performance. With music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who also composed The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, as well as complementary choreography by Kent Stowell, this is a masterful, well-choreographed, and well-rehearsed performance.

Carla Körbes is stunning in the dual role of Odette, the swan’s princess, and Odile, the daughter of the villainous Baron von Rothbart. This is also one of her last performances with PNB, as she is retiring at the end of the season. Körbes' lines and control of her body are sensual and breathtaking. She makes holding an on-pointe arabesque for more than 15 seconds look like the easiest thing in the world. She makes even the hardest moves look easy.

Körbes has a wonderful counterpart in Karel Cruz, her Prince Siegfried. He makes her look light as a feather, and his movements are very clean and catlike. He is also very handsome, and in many respects, is the yin to the yang of Korbes’s floaty strength, keeping her grounded and making her fly.

This was the most classic ending to my seven years of reviewing for TeenTix—my swan song. I loved every single movement of Swan Lake, and this was an incredibly wonderful performance of the classic ballet.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this post stated that Swan Lake is Carla Korbes' last performance with PNB. Rather, she will make her farewell in the Season Encore on June 7.

Swan Lake
Pacific Northwest Ballet
April 10 - 19