Fresh from two weeks in the studios of Ballet de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux, we sat down with Rachel Beaujean, choreographer of Northern Ballet’s exciting new production of Swan Lake, to hear how her creative process is unfolding, what audiences can expect from this unique take on a classic story, and how she is approaching its central character, Odette
Swan Lake has captivated audiences for generations. Please could you tell us what drew you to this story and share what our audiences can expect to experience when watching your new production?
Swan Lake is famous for its ‘white acts’ (the ethereal, moonlit scenes where the stage is filled with swans in white tutus) and everybody loves them.
There's an immense power in being part of the corps de ballet, which I used to be. It comes from that sense of belonging to a group. I think we all recognise it when we watch it, and we all feel the power of it. There's something hopeful in that too because it suggests that when many people come together, they can create something beautiful.
In this production, we’ve embraced the idea that Swan Lake is fundamentally a fairy tale. We won’t be setting the ballet in a specific historical moment, but Colin Richmond has designed costumes inspired by the Romantic era around the time Tchaikovsky composed the score. That aesthetic became a major factor in the choices we made. In the set design, fabric plays a very important role because it allows scenes to be revealed and transformed quickly. It creates the feeling of opening a storybook or watching the visual world of a classic Disney film unfold before you.
In this interpretation, Odette and Odile become one richly layered character. What new dimensions does this reveal about her, and what other themes are you bringing out in your interpretation of this classic story?
I think it's important that Odette and Odile are same person because the story is really about her discovering different aspects of herself and finding her womanhood.
In Act III, instead of Odile appearing as a separate character whose origins are never clearly explained, it is Odette herself who arrives at her first royal gathering. She's dressed in black, and experiences that feeling of entering a room looking extraordinary, aware of every eye upon her, and enjoying it.
The idea is that women, like all human beings, contain many different sides. Odette is no longer simply the innocent, virtuous figure. She is everything. She is also the femme fatale. She dances with Siegfried at the ball, and he is slightly taken aback because he hasn't seen this side of her before, yet he remains deeply in love with her.
Alongside this, through the character of Odette’s mother, the Queen now exiled to live in the natural world, we will we’ll exploring the theme of nature, our relationship with it, how we care for it and how we can live alongside it, rather than simply pursuing wealth and power.
You've worked with Northern Ballet previously. In what ways are you looking forward to working with Northern Ballet dancers again to create this production, and in particular, what do you think they can bring to Swan Lake?
I've recently seen Gentleman Jack in London, and what I love about the company is its strength in storytelling. The dancers really like to explore character, and they bring very distinct personalities to the stage. That's not always the case in every company. I think that quality is going to be especially valuable in Swan Lake, and particularly in this version of the story.
I already know some of the dancers, so I'm also interested in seeing how I can help them develop further. It's not just about having them dance the choreography for me and for the production. It's also about coaching them and passing on what I've learned over the past fifty years through my experience with Dutch National Ballet.
I think it's going to be an exciting process for everyone!
I've also seen the theatre in Leeds where the production will be staged, and there's something very special about it. The theatre itself has a kind of magic, so I'm really looking forward to working there and seeing how the production develops on tour.
What do you hope audiences will carry with them after spending an evening with this version of Odette and her story?
I hope audiences will be touched by the story and leave the theatre feeling that they have found a place where they belong, even if that place exists within a fantasy world. I hope they see something of themselves reflected in it.
One of the things I love about ballet is that you don't need to be an expert to understand it. It's a language that we all recognise instinctively. When you feel happy or proud of have achieved something, there's often a physical response. You want to move, to get up, to dance. In that sense, body language is such an underrated form of communication. We all use it to express ourselves, often without even realising it.
Because of that, I think we can relate to ballet far more easily than we sometimes assume. That's one of the reasons classical ballet still has such power today. People continue to connect with it.
My aim has always been to preserve what I love about classical ballet. That's why I do this. I believe that if we can find ways of rethinking and updating the narratives, then future generations will also be able to enjoy these beautiful ballets. That's really my goal, and it's what I hope to achieve with this production.
Header photo Rachel Beaujean with Federico Bonelli rehearsing Swan Lake with Akane Ichii and Tangui Trévinal, photo by Rob van Woerkom. Other photo also by Rob van Woerkom,
