On Sunday afternoon, uncultured freshmen Jordan and Abi, who know nothing about ballet but were excited nonetheless, journeyed all the way to 60th Street to watch the Columbia University Ballet Ensemble perform Swan Lake. Hear what they have to say.

Wow! Dancing! Leaping! Ballet!

After aimlessly wandering around in arctic temperatures, trying to find the Manhattan Movement and Arts Centre, we claimed the elusive front row seats of Columbia University Ballet Ensemble’s Swan Lake. If you’re like us and haven’t heard of Swan Lake since the 2003 Barbie edition, it is essentially the story of a Prince who falls in love with a girl who is a swan by day and Princess by night. With the promise of true love, swan girl can become fully human, but there’s a pesky sorcerer to contend with.

More intriguing than the plot of the ballet, though, was the performance and poise of the dancers. We tried to count the number of pirouettes but got so dizzy we had to take a breather. The ensemble was large, yet everyone had their own moment to shine on stage. We particularly want to shout out the two swans who moved so gracefully we’re not even sure they’re human. Every time they were lifted into the air, it seemed as if they were literally taking flight.

We saw a wide range of costumes, from simple leotards and skirts that allowed us to focus when there were lots of dancers on stage, to the intricate outfits of the main dancers that helped give even more life to their performances, especially solo routines and duets.

These solos and duets, particularly in the third and fourth acts of the show, were some of the most captivating moments in the ballet. Although, we would have enjoyed seeing more of the smaller ensemble performances as they seemed particularly well devised and very interesting to watch.

With minimal props and set design, the dancing remained at the forefront of the performance. CUBE used an effective combination of lighting and Tchaikovsky’s original score, to evoke emotion and develop the narrative. Even if at times we were unsure of the storyline, it wasn’t difficult to understand what each dance was trying to convey. These various elements of the ballet worked together, making it a truly enjoyable performance.