Swan Lake returns to Ballet West February 9 through the 17, 2024.
"Swan Lake really is one of the greatest pieces of theater of all time," said Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute. "After Nutcracker, it's the first thing people think of for classical ballet, but Swan Lake is so multi -faceted, filled with profound storytelling, great music, powerful and athletic dancing, artistry, and magic. For our production, I have tightened up the pacing, and heightened the drama to create a work that melds this 19th Century classic with a 21st-century sensibility."
The story follows a forlorn prince, an evil wizard, and an enchanted maiden who can only become human by the light of the moon, all set to heart-wrenching music by Tchaikovsky, performed live by the Ballet West orchestra.
Sklute told us that Ballet West Founder William Christensen created the first full-length American production of Swan Lake in 1940 when he was the Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet.
Since then it has been reworked by each artistic director at Ballet West.
This year's unique version was designed by Sklute to feature many children and students from the Ballet West Academy as members of the Act 1 Prince's court.
And here's a fun fact: Ballet West's Swan Lake costumes were even used by Taylor Swift and her dancers in "Shake it Off" music.
Swan Lake is the oldest production owned by Ballet West, with the scenery being 35+ years old.
It takes 14 hours to set up and Ballet West uses 250 pounds of dry ice every performance for the fog effect in Acts two and four, filling the stage four-feet deep to hide the swans underneath as they rise out of the fog.
Swan Lake is a must-see for theater-goers, and tickets start at just $30.
Visit balletwest.org for ticket information.
