Program Swan Lake

The story of Swan Lake

In 1895, as Russian society began to brew and foment and tell-tale signs of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution were sweeping the nation, an elite audience in St. Petersburg marvelled in wonder at Swan Lake. It was the premiere of that romantic ballet, brimming with beautiful dancers in pointe shoes and tutus, about an enchanted lake and forbidden love. You can almost imagine theatregoers intentionally cloistering themselves, far from the unpredictable outside world, and escaping into the fictional reality of a romantic fairytale. And in 2020, that same fairy tale is still an unparalleled favourite, enchanting audiences everywhere.

The Black Swan

Writer and mathematician Nassim Nicholas Taleb coined the term Black Swan Event in 2001 to describe an improbable event that fails to fit into our usual ways of thinking, and yet has major economic or social impact. Over the last few months, our society has become intimately acquainted with the black swan called corona. Not to mention the climate crisis, which may not be unpredictable, but its future consequences certainly don’t fit into our current way of thinking.

In this unpredictable world, it is tempting to retreat under the warm blanket of security and predictability, or cling to a fictional past that we yearn to return to as soon as possible. It is far more difficult to explore what new ideas, words, or thoughts could help us through the crises we’re facing. Where the future is uncertain and dangerous, the past is familiar, recognisable and reassuring. But conventions can also be suffocating, and freeing yourself from their grasp is never an easy task.

That is true of both society and our own individual lives. Shedding your past, facing insecurity and fear, seeking out new and better ways to arrange your life or be yourself are matters that everyone has to deal with in life. Each individual life has its own black swans.

What choice will you make?

Swan Lake is the story of how we handle crises and the choices we make along the way. It is about the choice between past and future, between proven quality and the risky path forward, between remaining yourself and becoming yourself.

The evening is designed as a journey through four acts and four dance solos. There are three unique journeys, but the audience can only see one at a time. The outcome of the performance is determined in part by your choice and the choices made by the players in Swan Lake The Game. Do you want to go forward to an uncertain future? Or do you rather go back towards a past that you already know?

 

Cast

Adam Peterson
Angela Herenda
Camilo Chapela
Enrique Monfort
Felix Feenstra
Harold Luya
Igor Podsiadly
Jesula Visser
Jochem Braat
Jonathan Bonny
Niels Meliefste
Rosie Reith
Sanne den Hartogh
Tatiana Matveeva
Sam Corver
Sofiko Nachkebiya
William English
Zaneta Kesik

Crew

Concept + choreography: Roni Haver + Guy Weizman
Text: Rik van den Bos
Music by: Kordz (Alexandre Kordzaia)
Set design: Ascon de Nijs
Costume design: MAISON the FAUX
Light & video design: Maarten van Rossem
Online art design: Martijn Halie
Music direction: Fedor Teunisse
Dramaturgy: Robbert Van Heuven, Eefje van den Broek
Artistic assistent: Wim de Vries
Technician: Tom Vollebregt, Theunis Zijlstra, Jeroen Loois, Toon Boland, Rick Grobee , Rinse de Jong, Lobke Vale, Daan Perris, Luc Boons, Sjors Vriens, Boes Diertens
Costume atelier: Helga Richter, Gerda Teelken, Esther Rada, Inge ter Beek, Annelies Smit, Said Ali, Leon Kingma, Estela Muller
Online technicians: Siljan Rienstra, Jeffrey Zant, Wytse Vellema, Jelle Faber, Werner Danhof, Jeroen Lammers

Club Guy & Roni’s Swan Lake is dedicated to Jens Van Daele – a beautiful wild swan that generated a ‘black swan event’ both in our art and our lives, thanks to his rare talent.

With great thanks to all employees of Club Guy & Roni + Noord Nederlands Toneel + Slagwerk Den Haag + Tomoko Mukaiyama Foundation + Schouwburg De Lawei.

This show was realized with the support of:
Fonds Podium Kunsten
Ministerie Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschappen
Gemeente Groningen
Gemeente Den Haag
Provincie Groningen
Tomoko Mukaiyama Foundation