Ballet in four acts (1895)
Beloved by ballet fans and a sensation for first time ballet-goers, classical ballet's most powerful tale of love, treachery and forgiveness returns to the Royal Opera House stage.
Out hunting, Prince Siegfried (Matthew Ball) chances upon a flock of swans. One among them transforms into the beautiful human Odette (Yasmine Naghdi) and he is immediately enamoured. But Odette is bound by a spell which keeps her captive as a swan during the day. Can Siegfried free her?
Tchaikovsky’s sensational score combines with the evocative imagination of choreographer Liam Scarlett and designer John Macfarlane to heighten the dramatic pathos of Petipa and Ivanov’s quintessential ballet classic. The production offers audiences an irresistible mix of enchanting solos, spectacular pas de deux and atmospheric corps de ballet sequences, capturing Prince Siegfried and Odette's relationship as it unravels over two acts under the malignant influence of Von Rothbart.
Opening in Spring and returning in Summer, Swan Lake remains to this day one of the best-loved works in the classical ballet canon, demanding delicacy, grace, and strong, virtuosic technique from the dancers that take on its central roles.
ROH Guidance: Content suitable for all.
