The Ballet Jörgen's Anastasia

Kelsey Lee '12 and Melissa Warner '12

The Canadian ballet company Ballet Jörgen put on a performance of Anastasia at the Smith Opera House on Oct. 24. The plot of this ballet focuses on the life story of the late Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov, the youngest daughter of Czar Nicholas II of Russia. The ballet began with scenes from Anastasia's childhood before World War I, then continued during the war when she worked as a nurse to help wounded Russian soldiers, and finally with the overthrow of her father and Imperial Russia by the Bolshevik Revolution and her family's execution.

However, aspects of the ballet's plot were historically inaccurate, or at least fictionalized. In real life, Anastasia had three older sisters, Olga, Tatiana, and Maria. She also had one younger brother, Alexei, who was next in line for the throne before the revolution and his death. In the ballet, the only sibling included was one older sister, Tatiana. Also, the love story between Anastasia and the kitchen boy, Dmitry, that the ballet was centered on was an embellishment of her life story. There is no record of Anastasia having any kind of affair with a kitchen boy.

The largest difference between the ballet and true history was that, in the ballet, Anastasia escapes the execution of her family and takes refuge in a convent. However, in 2008, two bodies were found near, but separate from, the mass grave where the rest of the Romanov family had been buried. DNA testing on the recent discovery of what appeared to be the long missing bodies of Anastasia and her younger brother, Alexei, has confirmed that they were both murdered with their family in 1918.

Despite these historical inaccuracies, the performance was definitely a success. The Smith Opera house was full with an eager crowd on Saturday night and the company performed exceptionally well. Ballet Jörgen's principal ballerina, Tara Butler, demonstrated exquisite technique and dexterity as the titular character of Anastasia. She was an actress as well as a ballerina, portraying her roughhousing with boisterous childhood friend Dimitry with flexed feet and hunched shoulders, and showcasing her grace and nimbleness during the romantic pas de deux (or balletic duets). She rose up and down off pointe with flawless precision, just like her portrayal of Anastasia's transition from playful tsaritsa to elegant, poised Grand Duchess.

Preston McBain was lithe and energetic as Dimitry, the son of a palace kitchen maid who joins a group of passionate working-class rebels. He had a natural rapport with his fellow dancers and was always in sync with his partner or the corps surrounding him.

The full orchestral score, composed by Ivan Barbotin, was searingly romantic and exceptionally evocative. Exciting staccato drumbeats resounded during the scene in which the troops marched off to war. Quaint, upbeat tones chimed during the playful scenes that featured Anastasia and her comical Nursemaid's interactions. And soaring, dramatic scores set the mood for Dimitry and Anastasia's longing and despairing duets.

The choreography that the scores accompanied can be credited to Bengt Jörgen, a dancer, choreographer, and director of this innovative ballet company. The styles demonstrated during each number were quite varied but still classical, adding to the excitement of the tense storyline. Set/costume designer Sue LePage incorporated some rather authentic-looking Russian garb into the attire, and Jörgen complemented it with his occasional tribute to traditional Russian dance. Though the style of movement was distinctly balletic and did not incorporate a large amount of the Russian trepak, the little that was added was blended in seamlessly.

Anastasia was a beautiful performance and an interesting, if embellished, chronicle of the life of a Russian royal. Audience members will remain captivated by this ballet long after the curtain falls.