Derek Deane‘s Swan Lake in-the-round was commissioned by English National Ballet in 1997 and has since been seen by over 500,000 people worldwide. It will be seen again in London’s vast Royal Albert Hall from 12 – 23 June with 14 performances. I asked Deane about his hit show.
Why do you think that Swan Lake in the round continues to be so popular?
I believe that Swan Lake ‘In the round’ continues to be such a huge success because it is a one-of-a-kind production, not performed by any other company in the world, that brings in new audiences to experience classical ballet at its highest level… with a twist!
The immense impression of 60 swans gliding around the stage stays with an audience. The patterns, the shapes and the uniformity, along with a deep emotional involvement, is so enthralling for new and dedicated audiences. There are up to 5,000 spectators per performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the reception given to the production at the end of the evening is quite overwhelming. I have been accused of ‘dumbing down’ the art form, but it’s simply not true. The production is always performed at the highest artistic level that I can produce. It’s just different.
In the round with a plethora of swans – what were the greatest challenges?
There were no great challenges choreographically really as I still lean very much on what is considered to be “the classical ballet bible” as far as Swan Lake is concerned. My biggest challenge was to be able to get 60 swans to perform in unison. As one. Hours and hours of relentless rehearsal – aided by a brilliant assistant and the artistic staff of English National Ballet – to perfect the style and the musical precision of the choreography. For me the music is the most important factor in any ballet as the music was written specifically by the composer for the production. I follow the music at all times when I’m creating. It speaks to me… I get obsessed. The steps are all there, inside the music.
How are auditions conducted for the ‘extra’ swans? Where do they come from?
Auditions are held well in advance for the extra dancers that we use in the production. Not only extra swans but also extra male dancers are required. Obviously, we try to match the type of female dancer as much as we can to the dancers that are already in the company. Sadly, there are a lot of good corps de ballet dancers out there that are unemployed. It’s a delight to see the joy of the extra dancers rehearsing, dreaming that they might be seen by the director and chosen to become a permanent member of the company. Some have succeeded, others failed. It can be a cruel profession.
It is thirteen years since Agony and the Ecstasy [the fly-on-the-wall documentary followed the English National Ballet for a year and featured Deane and Swan Lake]. Judith Mackrell for The Guardian wrote: “It found in choreographer Derek Deane a bully to match Aronofsky’s gothically sadistic ballet master, played by Vincent Cassel [in Darren Aronofsky‘s film Black Swan].” Do you have young swans quaking in their pointes?
I have the same high standards that I have always had. Dancers know when they work with me what is expected from them in terms of hard work and professionalism. I keep dancers “on their toes” by setting a standard that I hope they will reach. I believe I have the ability to push dancers to their limits but also understand very well how hard it is to reach those limits. Dancers will respond to you if they believe and trust in you and in what you are trying to achieve. But don’t be fooled, I also give great praise where praise is due.
You are coming up to a big birthday during the run of Swan Lake – where will you be celebrating?
I always try to ignore my birthday [on 18 June] – what’s to celebrate getting a year nearer to death? – but other people won’t let me. So, this year I will be with friends and family for a lunch, and then I will be at a performance of Swan Lake in evening. We are filming the production for world distribution which is very exciting, and I will be in the Royal Albert Hall looking for angles and best shots for dramatic effect. It will take my mind off getting older!
You have now done many large-scale productions in the UK and abroad – what’s next?
After Swan Lake I am going back to Shanghai to revive my production of Le Fantôme de l’Opéra for Shanghai Ballet and also work on my ballet The Lady of the Camellias as we are taking it to Australia. Strictly Gershwin – which had a huge success again in America – is being revived by Tulsa Ballet for Playhouse Square.
Then there are two productions which are in the process of being produced – one is a dance production of the Beatles’ songs, and the other a ballet/dance production of Moulin Rouge. So it goes on…
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.