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Swan Lake with the Cincinnati Ballet
Their first performance with the Company - October 3, 1997
Cincinnati Enquirer Review

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Page 6 - Giselle Moscow Festival Ballet in Naples, FL	Page 7 - Giselle Moscow Festival Ballet in Phoenix, AZ	Page 8 - La Fille Mal Gardee Ballet Tech Ohio	Page 9 - La Fille Mal Gardee Ballet Tech Ohio

BY CAROL NORRIS
Cincinnati Enquirer Contributor
October 4, 1997

Cincinnati Ballet's 35th anniversary season opened Friday with romantic masterpiece, Swan Lake. San Francisco ballet stars Joanna Berman and Anthony Randazzo were scheduled to dance the leading roles, Swan Queen and Prince Siegfried. Unfortunately, Mr. Randazzo canceled because of injury. As it turns cut, Cincinnati Ballet has two stars of its own.

Anna Reznik and Alexei Kremnev, new to the company this season, stepped into the spotlight with total command of the roles. The former Boishoi Ballet soloists were at home in Tchaikovsky's luscious score and Dennis Poole's fresh new choreography.

This classic has been done thousands of times since its first successful run in Russia 100 years ago. I've seen about a dozen of productions and loved every one of them, but I've never seen any principal dancers more in total control of the material than Ms. Reznik and Mr. Kremnev.

The fairy tale story is about a young prince who comes of age and is pushed to choose a bride. He falls in love with a beautiful white swan in female form. Their love can never be, because she's under the spell of the evil Van Rothbart. The prince is tricked by a wicked black swan and the ballet has a tragic ending.

The Tchaikovsky is irresistibly romantic and Carmon DeLeone conducting Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra played right from the heart. The music was wonderful.

Ms. Reznik has the music in her soul. Every leg extension, arm reach or arch of her neck is an interpretation of an achirigly beautiful musical passage. The dual role of White Swan/Black Swan showed off her versatility - softly poetic as White; wickedly icy as Black. Everything was there from precise balances in arabesque, to perfectly arched feet, to flawless turns.

Mr. Kremnev, is truly the Rusian melancholic with beautiful clean jumps, tender partnering and powerful stage presence. The two dancers bring a new excitement to the company.

There were 2,000 in attendance, roaring bravos by the end.