Swan Lake

Swan Lake (Russian: Лебединое Озеро) is one of the most famous and critically-acclaimed ballets, with music by Tchaikovsky.

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The original ballet was first performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia on February 20, 1877 and remained in the repertoire until 1883. After the composer's death, the ballet was revised by the composer's brother Modest and the conductor Riccardo Drigo. This revised version received its premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg on January 15, 1895 with choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, and many later stagings have followed their work more or less closely.

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A single dancer dances the twin roles of Odette and Odile, which is one of the most taxing of all roles because it requires acting two entirely contrasting characters, as well as the strenuous showpiece dancing itself, including thirty-two fouett?s. This feat was put into the choreography because it was a party piece of Pierina Legnani, first prima ballerina assoluta of the Maryinsky ballet.

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The ballet's premier in St. Petersburg, with Pavel Gerdt as Prince Siegfried, was actually very poorly received, having been performed with lackluster costumes and scenery, unusual choreography, and a mediocre orchestra. It also departed from the traditional Russian format of ballet, which used a story with just enough plot to sustain the virtuoso dancing; Tchaikovsky's ballet, on the other hand, included a well-unified storyline which lost much of the audience. A later revival in the year after Tchaikovsky's death was acclaimed as a masterpiece, having used phenomenal talent in all aspects.

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Russian: Russian can mean:...

Ballet: Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. Dance works choreographed using this technique are called ballets and may include: dance, mime, acting, and music (orchestral and sung). Ballets can be performed alone or as part of an opera. Ballet is best known for its virtuoso techn...

Tchaikovsky: REDIRECT Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky...

Swan Lake related Images and Photos (experimental)

Swan Lake	Barbie of Swan Lake DVD (Widescreen)	Barbie of Swan Lake 2003	Ballerina Maria Tallchief Performing in "Swan Lake"
Ballerina Maria Tallchief and Andre Eglevsky Rehearsing "Swan Lake"	Swan	Swan	Swan, The (DVD, Remastered)
Lake Bell	Lake Tahoe	Lake Scene	Lake Tahoe