H's pride stung, Tchaikovsky said he would never
forgive,Rubinstein, not to mention the music press
of that cla7 and the St. Petersburg public.
On the other hand, but a few decades later, about
a year before his death, Tchaikovsky was asked for
his memories of Rubinstein.
He said: "I adore him not only as a great pianist
and composer, but as a man of rare nobility, loyalty
and generosity, incapable of petty and vulgar senti-
ments ... a man who towered about the common
herd. ... I left the conservatory full of gratitude for
my professor."
In 1866, Tchaikovsky himself became a professor
of harmony at Nicholas Rubinstein's Moscow
Conservatory, and spent 10 years there working hard
as a teacher, composer and music critic, much of the
time under the guidance of Nicholas. Although
Tchaikovsky's first compositions were not well
received, he persevered, getting the courage to write
Winter Dreams, his first symphony.
Annual financial aid from a wealthy widow whom
he befriended made it possible for Tchaikovsky to
give up teaching and concentrate on composing. By
the end of the 1870s, he had finished some of his
famous works, including Swan Lake.
The most popular of Tchaikovsky's three ballets,
Swan l ake is in the repertoires of most ballet corn-
- paniel, in the world, either in a one-act form (Act II,
the lakeside scene) or in the full four acts to be per-
formed at the Detroit Opera House.
The story, from a French version of a German
tale, is about a beautiful princess who, under the
spell of a wicked sorcerer, is transformed into a swan.
She meets a brave prince who swears to love her for-
ev'.:r and save her from spending the rest of her life as
2. swan (there are both happy and sad endings).
It is said that ballet studios across the country
and around the world are filled with children who
take ballet lessons only after seeing a Swan Lake per-
formance," said David DiChiera, Michigan Opera
Theatre's general director.
"The American Ballet Theatre's all-new produc-
tion of this quintessentially romantic ballet is the
glittering centerpiece of ABT's 60th anniversary, and
an eagerly awaited event everywhere. We're very
pleased to be able to bring it to our opera house for
ballet lovers in the Detroit area to see."
ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, for-
merly a principal dancer with ABT, has added
some of his own choreography to this production.
During his stage career, McKenzie danced the
leading roles in all of the major full-length classics
throughout the world. He was appointed ABT
artistic director in 1992.
New sets and costumes for Swan Lake were
designed by Zack Brown, an accomplished set
designer with work on the stages of the New York
Metropolitan Opera, the Washington Opera, the
San Francisco Opera, the National Ballet of Canada
and ABT. He was awarded two Emmys, one for sets
and one for costumes, when San Francisco Opera's
La Gioconda was telecast. He also designed the sets
and costumes for the Tony Award-winning revival of
On Your Toes on Broadway.
Duane Schuler, a veteran lighting designer for
ABT, created the look and mood for the new Swan
Lake production.

,

Israeli Swan

young former Israeli, who took up
ballet because she couldn't speak
English, will have two featured roles in
ABT's all-new production of Swan Lake.
Born in Jerusalem, Eleena Melamed,
21, could speak only Hebrew when she
came to New York City at the age of 5.
When,she was 8, and still unsteady
about her new language, her mother
sought an after-school activity where
Eleena wouldn't have to converse too
much with others.
"Ballet dancing was just perfect,"
Eleena beamed. "You don't have to talk
to anyone; you just listen and dance."
That activity became a career, and
Eleena danced her way into ABT's elite
Corps de Ballet in 1996 after graduat-
ing from New York's Professional
Children's School. She joined 28 other
corps members.
"I went through many auditions,
and it was a tough grind, but I'm very
happy to be a member of the American
Ballet Theatre," she said.
In the four performances of the new
Swan Lake, Eleena will dance as the Big
Swan in Act II and as the Princess in
Act III.
Although Eleena's mother, Hedva, a
New York City hospital emergency
room'doctor, got her involved in ballet
at an early age, she really wanted her
Eleena Melamed (as the Russian ballerina in Antony Tudor's
daughter to eventually become a lawyer.
"Gala Perfirrmance"• "512 sticking with my ballet career:"
"My mother has been very support-
ive of my ballet dancing, but she wanted
me to go to college to have something to
fall back on — just in case," Eleena explained.
Eleena and the other dancers are excited about
the new version of Swan Lake, which debuts
Her two sisters, one still in Israel and one in
tonight (March 24) at the Kennedy Center in
Baltimore, work in medical research, "so that's
enough academics for the family. I'm sticking with
Washington, D.C., then comes to Detroit, followed
by performances at the Metropolitan Opera House
my ballet career," said Eleena. Her father,
in New York in May.
Abraham (her parents are divorced), is an agricul-
ture professor in Israel.
"Besides the additional choreography, we have
beautiful new sets and costumes," she said. 'After
Eleena, who lives in an Upper West Side apart-
all of these years of the same Swan Lake, I guess
ment in Manhattan, practices from 10 a.m. to 7
p.m. almost every day, and even longer when the
everyone figured it was time for a change." 0
troupe is rehearsing for upcoming shows. "I eat a
lot of protein and try to stay away from carbohy-
drates," she said.
Swan Lake will be performed at the Detroit
"With all of that practicing, it's easy to keep my
Opera House 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and
weight down. I'm just striving to stay healthy,
Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 30-April 2.
work hard, and hope for the best."
Tickets are $17-$62. A family discount is
Eleena's roles with ABT have included a Russian
available; when two full-price tickets are pur-
ballerina in Gala Performance, the lead pirate
chased, children's tickets (under 12) are half
woman in Le Corsaire and a nurse and harlot in
price. Dance school students can get one free
Romeo and Juliet. Prior to joining ABT, she
ticket with the purchase of a full-price ticket.
appeared with the Little Orchestra Society, the
Tickets can be purchased at the Detroit Opera
Stamford City Ballet, School of .American Ballet
House, (313) 237-7464, or through
Theatre workshops and in the New York City
Ticketmaster, (248) 645-6666.
Ballet Balanchine Celebration (1993).

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