Overview

Set to Tchaikovsky’s glittering score, Swan Lake is the epitome of classical ballet, beloved the world over for its lyricism, musicality and brilliant choreography and for a love story that is both symbolic and intimate. Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain gives renewed emphasis to the emotion and humanity of Swan Lake in a new staging inspired by Erik Bruhn’s landmark version but in her own bold vision. A gesture of love to a company and artform that has been her home for over 50 years.

The Story

One night in a faraway kingdom, the young woman Odette joins her friends at a lakeside clearing that, unbeknownst to them, is the lair of an evil predator, Rothbart, part man and part bird. Rothbart grasps Odette in his enormous wings and casts a spell enslaving her to live by day as a swan, returning to human form only at night. A pledge of true love and fidelity will set her free. But when the kingdom’s eligible royal, Siegfried, falls in love with Odette many years later, Rothbart conjures a spectacular trick to keep them apart – Odile, a ravishing imitation of Odette.

Read Synopsis

Five Things to Know

1. 1Odette and her friends are women held in captivity as swans. But at night when the audience sees them – and when Siegfried falls in love with Odette – they are human. There are always swan-like elements to the way they move but the women also show their humanity by supporting one another with gestures of comfort and understanding.
    
2. 2The setting has a lush, romantic quality to it, with a gated palace, forest, hunting grounds and enigmatic lakeside. The design features sets and costumes by Gabriela Týlešová, lighting by Bonnie Beecher and projection designs by Sean Nieuwenhuis.
    
3. 3Týlešová took care to design the perfect feathers for the 30 swan tutus in the production. Each tutu features more than 120 hand-cut and pleated feathers made from digitally printed fabrics. Týlešová wanted the feathers to provide a visual link with the winged figure of Rothbart.
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5. 4The traditional ball scene where Siegfried is expected to choose a bride is an extravagant masked ball in this version of Swan Lake. Every guest arrives in disguise, including Rothbart, who tricks Siegfried into mistaking Odile for his beloved Odette. Týlešová created some of her most fantastical costumes for this scene.  
    
6. 5Many of the choreographic elements that have made Swan Lake such an enduring classical work have been retained but with the addition of new and exciting staging from Karen Kain and choreography from her creative team: Associate Artistic Director Christopher Stowell and Choreographic Associate Robert Binet.

Watch and Explore

View Gallery

Swan Lake Trailer

Episode 1: Design Vision

Episode 2: The Wings

Episode 3: The Costumes

Episode 4: The Love Story

Episode 5: The Score

Tutu

Ballet Talk

The History of Swan Lake

• Swan Lake premiered in Moscow in 1877 and is performed by top ballet companies worldwide. The National Ballet of Canada has three versions of Swan Lake in its history, all created by former Artistic Directors: Celia Franca (1955), Erik Bruhn (1967) and James Kudelka (1999).
   
• Most adaptations of Swan Lake are based on the 1895 revival by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Choreographers often modify the scenario without changing all of the choreography, much of which is so familiar and beloved it is untouchable.
   
• The dual role of Odette/Odile is among the most coveted and challenging in the classical repertoire. Performing it requires the ballerina to capture both the subtle fragility of Odette and the fierce dynamism of Odile, all with impeccable technique.
   
• The role of Odile is notorious for its 32 fouetté turns, which come at the end of a gruelling pas de deux. A fouetté is a type of pirouette in which one leg whips out and around, creating propulsion (“fouetté” means “to whip”).
   
• In the famous “dance of the little swans,” or “four cygnets,” four women cross the stage, arms linked, in total unison. The choreography gestures to the way baby swans cluster together for protection and ultimately break apart, as they learn to fly.

Article About Swan Lake & the National Ballet

The Creator

Karen Kain joined The National Ballet of Canada in 1969 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1971. Over the course of her dancing career, she collaborated with top choreographers, toured internationally and worked on stage and in film as a guest artist. Karen led the National Ballet as Artistic Director with great success from 2005, until she stepped down in June 2021 and was named Artistic Director Emerita. 

The Composer

The late 19th century Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky created some of the most popular works in the classical repertoire, particularly his three full-length scores for ballet: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. His body of work includes full-length operas, symphonies and concertos.

Article About Tchaikovsky's Score

Credits

Directed and Staged by:
Karen Kain, C.C., LL.D., D.Litt., O.Ont.

Choreography:
Karen Kain, Christopher Stowell and Robert Binet after Erik Bruhn, Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa

Music:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake, Opus 20 (1875-76)

Set, Property and Costume Designer:
Gabriela Týlešová

Lighting Designer:
Bonnie Beecher

Projection Designer:
Sean Nieuwenhuis

Design Associate, Wardrobe:
Marjory Fielding

Design Assistant, Wardrobe:
Allie Marshall

Design Associate, Set & Properties:
Joshua Quinlan

Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Toronto, Friday, June 10, 2022

Produced and commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada. 

Lead philanthropic support for Swan Lake is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund, with generous underwriting from Richard M. Ivey, C.C., an anonymous friend of the National Ballet, Susan Scace & Arthur Scace, C.M., Q.C., Pamela and Paul Austin and The P. Austin Family Foundation, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Nancy Pencer, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Lawrence Schafer Foundation, Gretchen Ross & Donald Ross, O.C., Anne-Marie Canning, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Tim & Frances Price, The Volunteer Committee of The National Ballet of Canada, Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M. and Aaron & Heather Regent. Additional support provided by The Producers’ Circle.

The Producers’ Circle: Gail & Mark Appel, John & Claudine Bailey, Inger Bartlett & Marshal Stearns, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, The Thor E. and Nicole Eaton Family Charitable Foundation, Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M., Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation, Anna McCowan Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Mona & Harvey Levenstein, Jerry & Joan Lozinski, The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland, Sandra Pitblado & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Harry & Lillian Seymour Family Foundation, Gerald Sheff & Shanitha Kachan and The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation.

The National Ballet also acknowledges support for Swan Lake provided by Sylvie Allard & Brian O’Keefe, Judi Conacher, Sherry & Edward Drew, The H. John McDonald Foundation and Julie Medland.

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following: