ballet. Swan Lake
music. Pyotr Tchaikovsky
coreography. Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
libretto. Vladimir Begitchev and Vasily Geltzer
scenography & wardrobe. Russian Classical Ballet
world premiere. February 27th, 1877, at Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow
duration. 140 minutes with 20 minutes interval
© Russian Classical Ballet. Photo by Rui Fonseca.
© Russian Classical Ballet. Photo by Rui Fonseca.
© Russian Classical Ballet. Photo by Rui Fonseca.
© Russian Classical Ballet. Photo by Rui Fonseca.
Full of romanticism and beauty, Swan Lake is considered the most spectacular in the repertoire of classical dance. The choreography of Swan Lake requires great skill and high technical capacity in the interpretation of the characters.
The duplicity of character present in the purity of the White Swan figure, and the intrigue of the Black Swan, demand a high degree of drama and virtuosity in the interpretation of the Principal Dancer, especially in the two Grand Pas de Deux, interpreted in the acts II and III. Another climactic moment is the dazzling Dance of the Little Swans.