Classic ballet every step of the way

By Kelly Yates
THE Drum Theatre is polishing the dance floor to make way for the one-off performance of the Kiev Ballet’s Swan Lake on Monday 5 May.
As part of their national tour around Australia and New Zealand, the Kiev Ballet will feature the full company of 52 dancers, including principal dancers and outstanding soloists, representing the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Ukraine.
The Kiev Ballet will perform a four-act Swan Lake with fresh sets and costumes, featuring gold medallist lead dancers, Viktor Ishchuk and Natalia Domrecheva.
In an interview with Star, the 24-year-old professional dancers expressed their delight at being involved in Swan Lake.
Mr Ishchuk said Swan Lake was the top of all of the classical ballet ballads.
“The choreography is the old Russian style and is danced to beautiful music,” he said.
With this being the couple’s first trip to Australia, the duo has travelled and performed in Japan, Europe and Canada.
Ms Domrecheva, from Russia, said it was one of their many coaches that teamed them up as a partnership.
“We are just friends but have a marriage on stage,” Ms Domrecheva said.
Mr Ishchuk said it was his mother that forced him to dance from a young age.
“As a child I didn’t understand what dance was. My mother pushed me a lot but now I am very thankful as this is my job, my home and my way of life,” he said.
“I can’t imagine doing anything else. I get the opportunity to travel the world doing what I love.”
Like all dancers, they feel the pain and exhaustion from the many performances.
“It is normal to feel the pain. When you don’t feel it any more you’re dead,” Ms Domrecheva said.
The duo spend at least 40 minutes before every performance warming up.
“The day after a show, we always get the full day off. We usually watch television and sleep,” she said.
Ms Domrecheva said she loved the feeling of receiving applause from an audience at the end of a performance.
“When I see they are applauding me and my partner, I just love it. It’s then that I know I have adapted a particular character.”
Ballet for them is purely an art form not a sport.
“The most important thing for us is the feeling and expression,” he said.
“The technique of the dance is important but when you dance you must tell a story for it to become real.”
Ms Domrecheva said that gymnastics and yoga assisted with developing their ballet skills.
“I have to diet and eat healthy because Viktor has to pick me up for the lifts,” she said.
The pair know that eventually their dancing careers will come to an end and say that when the time is right they will do so.
“We will continue to be involved with the ballet industry as either directors or teachers at the Kiev Ballet.
For further information about the Kiev Ballet’s Swan Lake performance contact the Dandenong Drum Theatre on 9771 6666.