Christmas with Victoria

I'm joining Kathy at A Delightsome Life for her Christmas With Victoria Blog Party. Click on her name for lots more Victoria Christmas posts.

I'm sharing an article from Victoria, December 1988. This issue was published the first year Victoria was published.

The article on page 35 "A Winter's Gathering of Swans
Wonderments of the holiday season inspired by the formal grace of swans.

Wonderments

Once a year wonder mists our eyes, and we see the world through the wide eyes of a child at Christmas. A snowfall dusts the evergreens, and we imagine the sugary forests in our first picture book. In shop windows we see the glorious colors and festive bounty of a Dickens tale. A strain of holiday music, and we hear a choir of triumphant angels. And in the faces of loved ones, the glow of good cheer. Come celebrate the wonderments of the holiday with us, and may the spirit of Christmas bless you all.

A Winter's Gathering of Swans

Nearly two centuries ago, Patrick Conway, age 17, wrote in his journal about the beauty of women, likening them to swans. The eloquence of his words and the natural elegance of swans have inspired this gathering, for what could be more spectacular at the holidays than the pure white demeanor of swans or the crystal clarity of t heir image frozen in timeless beauty?

"A beautiful woman, beautifully elegant, impresses us as art does, changes the weather of our spirit..." -Patrick Conway


Swans - "their feathers floating away over the water like the trailing hems of snowy ball gowns..." -P. Conway

To Dance -- Like Swans

"The Swan Lake"

"The Swan Lake" ballet remains dear to our hearts as a classic tale of love triumphing over its eternal foes, jealousy and deception.

The romance tells of Prince Siegfried meeting the swan queen Odette by a lake. Odette laments a magician's spell holding her captive, to be broken only by a faithful lover. Siegfried swears fidelity, but is tricked into betrothal to another. Later realizing his treachery, Siegfried returns to the lake and with Odette, dives into the lake for eternal reunion in the afterworld.

It seems that such a timeless allegory with a virtuoso lead role- two diametric personalities often portrayed by one dancer - must always have been a favorite. Yet when first produced by Moscow Bolshoi in 1877 "Swan Lake" was unpopular.

Not until after the 1893 death of its composer, Tchaikovsky, was new life brought to his earliest work. And not until performance 13 years later by prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, would the full breadth of its poignant drama be realized. Her name became nearly synonymous with The Dying Swan solo - an indelible connection for Pavlova, whose last request was said to be, "Prepare my swan costume."
I hope you enjoyed seeing this article about Swan Lake. Click on any picture to enlarge and read more.

The next two pages are just a little bonus because I thought they were so pretty!


Thanks for hosting, Kathy!

God Bless.

Katherine