Swan Lake

Swan Lake is a romantic ballet in four acts. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the music. In 1871 he wrote a little ballet about swans for his nieces and nephews. He used some of the music from this ballet for Swan Lake. The story of the ballet is based on a German fairy tale. This tale was probably tweaked by Tchaikovsky and his friends during the ballet's early discussion stages.

Swan Lake is about a prince named Siegfried. He falls in love with the Swan princess, Odette. She is a swan by day, but a young woman at night. She is under a magic spell that can only be broken by a man who will make a promise to love her for all time. Siegfried makes the promise. He is tricked though by the magician who cast the spell. The ballet ends with the deaths of Siegfried and Odette.

Swan Lake with the participation of the soloists of The Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre Natalia Somova and Sergey Manuylov will take place at the Kyrgyz National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater on April 7 at 17.00.

Ticket price - 500-2400 som

Story of the ballet

Act 1: 1. Scène—The curtain rises on Prince Siegfried's birthday party. He is 21. On the next evening a grand ball will be held. He is to select a bride from six visiting princesses. Wolfgang, his tutor, introduces a band of peasants to the merrymakers. 2. Valse. 3. Scène. The Queen Mother enters. She thinks Siegfried is frivolous. The Queen Mother leaves. Benno encourages the Prince to continue the fun. 4. Pas de trois.—Dances for the peasants. 5. Pas de deux.—Dances for the merrymakers. 6. Pas d'action.—Wolfgang is drunk and collapses. 7. Sujet.—The sun sets. Siegfried suggests a final dance. 8. Danses des couppes.—The merrymakers dance a polonaise holding their goblets. 9. Finale.—A flock of swans flies overhead. Benno suggests a hunt. The Prince agrees. They set off.

Act 2: 10. Scène.—A lake shimmering in the moonlight is seen. Siegfried and his friends watch a flock of swans glide across the lake's surface. 11. Scène.—The hunters take aim. The birds are transformed into maidens. Their leader asks Siegfried why he troubles them. She says that she is the Princess Odette. She and her companions have all been changed into swans by her wicked stepmother. They are watched by her stepmother's companion Von Rothbart in the guise of an owl. Only a marriage vow can break the spell that keeps her a swan by day and a maiden by night. 12. Scène.—Siegfried says he loves Odette. She promises to attend tomorrow's ball. She warns him that her stepmother is very dangerous. 13. Danses des cygnes. 14 Scène.— Dawn breaks. Odette and her friends return to the lake as swans.

Act 3: Guests arrive in Siegfried's castle for the selection of the Prince's bride. 16. Danse du corps de ballet and des nains.—All dance, including a group of dwarves. 17. Scène.—La sortie des invités et la Valse. The six princesses arrive. 18. Scène. Siegfried does not choose a bride from among the six princesses. Von Rothbart enters with his daughter Odile. She is disguised as Odette. 19. Pas de six. The princesses dance. 20. Danse hongroise. 21. Danse espangnole. 22. Danse napolitaine. 23. Danse Mazurka. 24. Scène.—Siegfried chooses Odile as his bride, believing she is Odette. Von Rothbart flees the hall as an owl. Siegfried rushes into the night to find Odette.

• Tchaikovsky later put a pas de deux into Act 3 that is known as the "Black Swan pas de deux".

Act 4: 25. Entr'acte. 26. Scène.—Odette's friends await her return to the lake. 27. Danse des petits cygnes. 28. Scène. Odette collapses into her companions' arms. She tells them what has happened. A storm rises. Siegfried reaches Odette. 29. Scène finale.—He begs her to forgive him. She dies of grief in his arms. He throws her crown upon the waters. The waves overwhelm him. The swans are seen gliding away across the lake.