Act 3: Andante con moto
Hey, you all! Do you actually know this piece of music? ( watch?v=voqnhTNwu54)
Perhaps you have seen it as Lakeside Pas de deux between Odette and the Prince before the final scene, perhaps
also as a piece with black swans just before The Black Swan Pas de deux. Then you have seen Grigorovich's choreography at the Bolshoi Ballet.
This is in fact the second variation from No. 19 Pas de six, a cryptical dance, after evil Von Rotbart and the black swan have entered. It was meant to be a dance
for Odile and Siegfried. Because the prima ballerina ordered a pas de deux from Tchaikovsky's long-term rival Minkus, the great composer himself agreed
to subsitute Minkus' pas de deux with a similar dance and this became the "Tchaikovsky Pas de deux" - nevertheless, it was replaced finally with No. 5 (the
noe called "Black Swan Pas de deux". Anyway, the Andante con moto section is much more than a variation - it is dark, intense, brooding over fate and the trials of love.
And which music piece could describe better now the certain love triangles of rivalry?
"Oh my goodness" Amy gasped and touched the remaining relicts of her costume as the Princess in the first act. It had been a lush blue-green long dress with fancy, medieval sleeves; and silver threads. It had been so beautiful. Now it was burnt and even scrapped with probably a scissor.
"I'm afraid I can't mend it anymore. The performance is very soon. And we do not have the fabrics anymore, at least not in the right color." Ms. Mullet said. The old costume designer with curly, grey hair and glasses was as shocked as Amy. It had be one of her favorite designs, too.
"What is this?" Amy murmured and put a piece of paper out of the remaining parts of the dress. "Huh? Music notes?"
"Give it to me!" called Ruby Randall and studied them. "Mhmh, seems to be Le Cygne. The final section."
"Excuse me?"
"The Swan. From the Carnival of the animals. By Camille Saint-Saens" explained Ruby.
"Hey, you see it is just a piece of music. Nothing dreadful. And it is nothing from Ruby. Ruby is not playing this music at the moment and who else should it be?" Vanessa said, with a winning smile in the direction if Amy. Vanessa had actually been as much pleased, when Mr. Ashwell had announced that Laurie would not perform the Pas de Trois with her and June Elliot, well only to be less pleased about the replacement: the young Russian ballerina Maya Chesterova.
"Laurie, haven't you actually showed me some pieces of the "Carnival of the animals"? Ruby asked Laurie casually.
"He did...what?" Amy demanded to know.
"Um, Amy, I actually only talked with Ruby about some funny pieces for children. And I left my music sheets on the piano for some time and so the culprit..."
"Seems to know music very well. Because you know that The Swan is also a very famous short ballet piece." Vanessa added.
"Indeed, The Dying Swan, created for the divine Anna Pavlova. But then...ohmigosh...it is blackmail! The costume destroyed, someone is alluding to a swan's death..." Amy put her hands to her mouth, in horror.
"Relax, Amy. Perhaps only wants you to stop dancing. It is only a game. Some fun." Vanessa suggested. "But who would want you to stop?"
Amy turned to Laurie around.
"Theodore Laurence, be honest. Are you so jealous that you..."
"No, Amy, believe me. I would never do something as dreadful - and never would I destroy my piano sheets for it! I swear!" Laurie begged Amy.
"Do not worry, Amy. I've found a costume replacement!" Mr. Ashwell said cheerfully, when he entered with Jo and Friedrich Bhaer. He showed Amy a peasant dress.
"I could add perhaps an apron and a bonnet, all in blue. Or you could paint it as you like!" Ms. Mullet winked.
"Thanks!" Amy smiled. But her thoughts were worried. It had been someone she knew. But who would dare to lie?
But soon, all thoughts were almost forgotten. The rehearsals went on, the performance coming closer, the Neapolitan Dance with Laurie went better; Laurie was praised more for his acting skills; and Amy encouraged Flo more often.
In her room, Amy spent also evenings laughing with Jo. Jo told her all about stories with enchanted princesses. "They all have an happy ending! Even Pushkin's Tsar Saltan. But why not Swan Lake?" "It is Mr. Ashwell's choice. And the official, original ending..." Amy reminded Jo and drank her cup of tea. Jo sighed. "Listen, Amy, I've done research on Vanessa Snegukova. The Royal Moscow State Ballet...it has only an English website performance. I couldn't find any Russian one behind it."
"Sherlock Jo, you should know that some companies are only used to travel around the world."
"But where is she graduated from? Why has she no profile?"
"Oh, Jo, I hope that you're retiring soon. When you rehearsed your Spanish Dance with Salsa steps, you suddenly cried "Carmen" and kept talking about the Habanera. You're getting nuts!" Amy said.
"And what about the juice bottle? You got sick and..."
"Nothing, Jo! It was just an accident, perhaps. This is not a mystery series. No phantom. Please promise that you won't investigate any more!"
"Um...I will not investigate, but keep my eyes open!" Jo declared.
Finally, the evening of the first performance was come. Amy went up and down.
..."Natalia Makarova...Marianela Nunez...Natalia Osipova...Maya Plisetskaya" the alphabetical order of famous ballet dancers had a good influence against her stage fright.
It was even harder, when Amy finally found herself in Fred's arms. He turned her around and hold her on a quite charming way, but Amy couldn't forget that it was the luring Black Swan Pas de deux, even it was the first act and she wore her peasant dress. Luckily, it was more relaxing, when she could watch Laurie as Benno and Fred as prince Siegfried being baffled by the many, many swans, surrounding them. And she gasped about graceful Flo as Swan Queen Odette - like a young Galina Ulanova. Far too soon, it was time for the third act.
Amy put her beautiful yellow-green Neapolitan dress with a very lovely veil on. Then she realized that Laurie was entering her room. His shirt was green and he brought the tambourines for the dance.
"Amy, you are so beautiful! And happy! I would never want to ruin your big day!" he whispered.
"I know Laurie. Please forgive me, I was so stupid!" she answered and kissed him tenderly.
Mr. Ashwell had choreographed the Pas de Six for all main characters. In the Andante con moto section, not only Jo as Spanish Odile and Fred would dance, but also Amy as Princess; Laurie as Benno, Friedrich as Rotbart would be a part. Flo as Odette would just join for this piece on the rather gloomy stage and try to keep her lover away from the temptress. All three couples would change again and again during the dance.
When the difficult dance was finished, the audience rewarded them with a thunder of clapping. Happily, Amy bowed together with her friends.
Finally, Fred as the Prince realized his mistake and rushed out from the stage. The curtain.
"You were so great! I'm proud of you!" Amy congratulated Flo, when she met her cousin behind the stage. "I could say the same for you!" Flo smiled.
"Excuse me, it seems like Josephine needs your help!" Vanessa called them.
Curiously, Amy and Flo followed Vanessa.
There, this was Jo's voice-
"Not now, darling. We can't tell them. We can't change the story. It has to be their story. Yes, Freddy-darling, I know."
Flo's face froze and with tears in her eyes, she gasped: "Freddy-darling? Does this mean that your sister and ...Fred...are...?"
she didn't say anything anymore, but just ran away, tearstruck.
"Nooo!" Amy called her.
At this moment, Jo and the man in the shadow realized them.