Through the means of classical ballet, SWAN LAKE tells the story of Prince Siegfried and his love for the enchanted princess Odette who tragically is trapped in the body of a swan. Half swan, half human, it is her destiny to become the subject of the sorrowful prince's fantasies. In Patrice Bart's version, it is Siegfried's mother who loves her son tremendously, pulling the strings of his fate. Unscrupulously, she manipulates his friend Benno and uses Prime Minister Rotbart as her accomplice. In reference to the imperial Russian House of Romanov, oppressive defeatism spreads characterised by emotional coldness and decadence. In his encounter with the swans, the young prince finds refuge.
The mighty birds' profound impact is expressed through large-scale swan formations choreographically inspired by their archaic flight patterns and natural, yet surreal beauty. With tutus modelled after the animals' white plumage, these spectacular scenes became the epitome of classical ballet.
SWAN LAKE also gained its legendary status through Peter I. Tchaikovsky's music which perfectly captures the contrasting moods: the desire that brings together Prince Siegfried and Odette; the treacherous glamour of the ball scenes in which the entire court, as if in a trance, falls for the seductive Odile, Odette's doppelganger who tempts the prince to make a devastating vow, betraying his true love.


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