By JADYN IBY
Arts Editor
The World Ballet Company’s performance of Swan Lake at the Palace Theater Friday night ended with a rousing standing ovation and ballet skeptics, such as myself, becoming true believers.
When I got to the theater I realized that there wasn’t a parking lot. For 30 minutes I circled around the Palace Theater looking for somewhere to park. I did find parking but you had to pay $35 cash to park there, so I decided I’d find a spot somewhere else. Finally, I found a spot to park a couple streets over. If you are new to the area I would get to the theater about 45 minutes before you’re supposed to be there to try and find parking. I had just made it into the theater and into my seat before they started the show.
Aside from the atrocious parking situation in downtown Albany, the Palace Theater is a beautiful sight. As you walk up to the doors, their staff greet you with a smile, and say “thank you for coming out tonight,” which I thought was very inviting and friendly. The inside of the theater is even more beautiful than the outside. With its beautiful crown moulding, balcony, lighting, and stage, I can see why so many others enjoy it.
This show also brought many different people from many different backgrounds. I sat next to two older women who were from Russia. They both explained how they truly enjoyed Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s music and that’s how they ended up in the Palace Theater.
When it comes to the classic tale of Swan Lake, the World Ballet Company certainly did it justice. Every act was a beautiful representation of the story. I was impressed by how many interesting lifts they had the performers doing, it kept my attention for much of the duration of the show. There were also some comedic parts within the show that the performers nailed.
Andrea Lassakova, the professional ballet dancer who played Odette/Odile in the show, was born in Dolny Kubin, Slovakia, and received her dance training with Klara Skodova at the Eva Jacz Dance Conservatory in Bratislava, which is the primary training facility for the Slovak National Ballet. In 2011, she graduated from the Conservatory, then joined the Slovak National Theatre as a demi-soloist. She has performed in many ballets such as, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, La Sylphide, the Swan Lake, Giselle and The Little Prince. Additionally, the performer who played the prince in this show, Razmik Marukyan, was born in Armenia and has been dancing since he was 9 years old. Marukyan has received many awards for his outstanding performances, despite his young age.
The sound quality within the Palace Theater was great, so much so, I was able to hear the conductor turn his page of music in the orchestra cockpit while I was in row O, which was about 30 feet from the stage.
The seat that I had in the theater was a good one, however I don’t think that there was one bad seat in the house. You have a good view of the stage no matter where you are sitting. It was distracting after the show started to have ushers guide latecomers to their seats with flashlights. Maybe they had the same issues with parking as I did.
The Palace Theater allows food and drink within the theater, which is nice, especially for longer performances. During their intermission, audience members are allowed to buy snacks and beverages for the rest of the show.
Overall, the performance of Swan Lake was great and so was the Palace Theater itself. If you are looking for something new to do in the city of Albany, I would definitely recommend it to anyone. The theater is always booking different/unique events. Although a little pricey, the Palace Theater is worth the money.
The World Ballet Company is currently on tour, traveling to many different cities around the country. Their shows feature multinational dancers, vivid hand painted sets, handcrafted costumes, and rich storytelling.
Some of their upcoming performances include Cinderella and the Nutcracker during the holiday season.
You can find their upcoming show times and dates on their website at https://www.palacealbany.org/.
