I saw Nureyev and Karen Kain in Erik Bruhn's Swan Lake, by the National Ballet of Canada in the early '70's. It has gotten some negative comments by traditionalists, but I thought getting rid of Rothbart was a great idea. He doesn't dance that much; his part is mostly mime, and his evil character was easily taken over by the Black Queen, who had a much more empowered role. It also frees up his music for the Prince and the Black Queen to share. The ending was the most dramatically satisfying one I've seen. The happy endings don't work for me. Having them both die is too depressing. Having only the Swan Queen die doesn't make sense; the Prince is the one who screwed up. The swans drive the unfaithful Prince into the lake and drown him for hurting their Queen. The Swan Queen is left alone with her grief, gliding in her sorrow offstage. Karen Kain made this unforgettably iconic exit her own. But, the original curse is apparently still in effect, and that means that there might, just might be another chance to break the spell. There might be another prince, and the emotional pull between sorrow and hope was catharsis as Aristotle described it in the Poetics. Add to that Nureyev's phenomenal dancing and charisma, and it was the best Swan Lake I've ever seen, out of dozens.
