WHEN asked to name a classical ballet, most would say Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, with its enduring themes like the battle of good versus evil and the ultimate defining story of the human psyche – the power of true love to conquer all.
Swan Lake is the fairy tale love story of Prince Siegfried who, on a hunting trip, chances upon a flock of swans, and falls in love with Swan Queen Odette.
He swears his undying love to her even though Odette can take human form only between the hours of midnight and daybreak following sorcerer Baron von Rothbart’s curse upon her.
When the Royal Czech Ballet’s Swan Lake comes to Ipswich Civic Centre this month, Moldovan-born Principal Lead Cristina Terentiev will dance the dual role of Odette/Odile.
Prerequisites of the White Swan - Black Swan performance are technical mastery and an emotional range able to morph from the wholesome, flowing moves of Odette to the tempestuous flourishes of the impudent, dishonest Odile.
Terentiev and the international company of 32 dancers hail from countries such as Moldova, Russia, trouble-hit Ukraine, Japan and Italy.
The lead dancer said life at home had become uncertain.
“This is a difficult time for everyone when there is a conflict in Ukraine,” Terentiev said.
“We want to bring good through our art and to unite people. The theatre is something that has always united people and it forever will do.
“The war remains there in the back of our minds. In my home, Moldova, it is not quiet either. We worry about our relatives and friends.”
After performing with The National Opera and Ballet of Moldova as a principal dancer, Terentiev joined the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada in 2003.
Founder and director of the Royal Czech Ballet is her husband, Andrey Scharaev, who started the company in 2008.
The couple met during her first professional job: she was Clara in Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker, in which he played the lead.
Her repertory includes lead roles in Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Chopiniana, The Wayward Daughter, and Cipollino.
Terentiev admitted to having grown to adore Swan Lake over the years although that was not always the case.
“Swan Lake was not a favourite of mine 10 years ago,” Terentiev said.
“I struggled with it. Even though I danced technically perfectly, I needed to add more emotion.
“Then I began to watch videos of myself and said, ‘it’s not enough, it’s not enough, I should improve’.
“I scrutinised prima ballerinas from theatre companies around the world to see how they danced. Could I take their performances and make them better?
“By observing the greats like Anna Pavlova, I understood what made their performances of 100 years ago so tremendous.
“Slowly, slowly, I began to understand what I needed to do. It had to come from within.
“I love the second adagio of Odette although, of course, the pas de deux from the third act as Odile is the key moment for me, it is when I give it my all.”
Terentiev has performed more than 1,000 shows during her career.
“Often I dream about the ballet. I still go to bed thinking about how I have performed, breaking down the moves in my head,” she said.
She said the Royal Czech Ballet show at Ipswich Civic Centre will be one to savour.
“The music, the costumes, the beautiful bodies of the classically trained ballerinas. It will be a feast for the senses,” Terentiev said.
“To watch how the ballerinas turn and extend their legs and then jump so very high is really so extraordinary.
“I hope the audience will enjoy our art, the story and the decoration. We have dedicated our lives to making our ballet special.
“The shows in Australia have been amazing so far. The theatres have been full, and this has been very exciting for us.
“We are so happy to be dancing for the Australian people for the first time and to share our art.”
The Royal Czech Ballet performance of Swan Lake is set for Wednesday, October 12, at 7.30pm.