Experience the Power of Swan Lake
The ballet Swan Lake as certainly had quite a history so far. From its origins all the way back in 1875, to the shocking psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman entitled Black Swan, the production is truly iconic. Indeed, the popular film (and countless others) pays tribute to this ballet production, a magical semblance of emotion, artistry and expression. Watching a performance of this ballet is something everyone should experience at least once in his or her life!
Tchaikovsky composed the ballet in 1875 and based it off well-known Russian folktales of the time. The story goes like this: there was a princess named Odette who was very beautiful. An evil sorcerer named Von Rothbart cast a spell on her so he could keep her for himself. During the day, she was a white swan. and only at night would she return to her human form. The spell can only be broken if a young man fell in love with her, and remains faithful to her with a vow of eternal love. If the vow is given and broken, she will remain a swan for all time. That is the start of the ballet, and the story gets very engrossing from there as all good fairytales and folklore do!
Some may be intimidated by attending the ballet if they have never gone before, but there is no need to be. It can be an exhilarating experience to watch the dancers glide through the air while listening to the live orchestra play the masterful music. You don’t need to know anything about ballet to enjoy your first time, or your 20th time. Music and dance are simply beautiful events to watch live, and when you combine them with a captivating story, it is hard not to be enthralled!
Today, you can catch this ballet in various cities across the U.S. The Saint Louis Ballet at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in MO will be performing this ballet, as will the American Ballet Theater in New York at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. Catch Swan Lake coming to a town near you!
Categorized in: Theater