Swan Lake

A performance by the Moscow City Ballet at the Hackney Empire. Now I like my Swan Lake very traditional, and Russian ballet companies can be relied upon to do traditional with a very big 'T'. This was extremely enjoyable, the swans and cygnets were elegant and delicate, the leading ballerina was magnificent, the male dancers were suitably dashing and made almost superhuman leaps, and carried their female dancers almost effortlessly. The female corps de ballet were extremely well choreographed - especially as the stage of the Hackney Empire isn't vast. Some of the male dancers seemed to lack finesse. The one disappointment was the lack of an orchestra. The music was pre-recorded and sometimes there were problems with the volume, and thisw affected the emotion and atmosphere of the piece. I expect it is a question of cost. Rating (because of the lack of live musicians) 7/10