Universal Ballet
<Swan Lake>

August 4 Fri. - 6 Sun. 2017

Grand Theater, Chungmu Arts Center

Music Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Choreography Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Oleg Vinogradov
Set Design Simon Pastukh
Costume Design Galina Solovieva
Lighting Design Kyungwon Seo
Running Time 2 hours 20 minutes (including one 15 min. intermission)

Exquisite Korean artistry straight from tutu heaven … Indeed the Universal Ballet of Korea, which made its African debut on the Mandela stage at the Joburg Theatre for four performances, was flying Korea’s flag with pride. Without question the female corps de ballet is straight from tutu heaven…
By Adrienne Sichel, March. 20, 2012

About the Performance
The ballet Swan Lake was created in Moscow in 1877, to a score commissioned from Tchaikovsky,
the earliest of his three major ballet scores. The production was not very successful, however,
and the version widely known today was produced in St. Petersburg at the Mariinsky Theater.
The second scene, where Siegfried meets Odette among the swans by the lake was
choreographed in 1894 by Lev Ivanov for a memorial concert, and the full-length version was
created by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov the following year. Over the years alterations were
made at various times by the staff at the Mariinsky Theater, most notably the revisions made in
1950 by Konstantin Sergeyev. The version performed by Universal Ballet also includes further
changes by Oleg Vinogradov, who succeeded Sergeyev as the head of the ballet company at
the Mariinsky and Bingxian Liu, Universal Ballet’s current Artistic Director.

Synopsis

ACT I
Scene I Outside the Palace
Prince Siegfried celebrates his coming of age amongst his friends. The Queen arrives to chide her son for his heedless ways, encouraging him to begin thinking about marriage and his responsibilities. As night falls, the guests leave, and Siegfried sees a flight of swans. Seizing a crossbow, he hurries in pursuit of them.

Scene II Beside a Lake
A wedge of swans appear. They are all young maidens who have fallen under the spell of a wicked enchanter, von Rothbart: by day they must assume the form of swans, but at night they can return to their human shape. Only the unfaltering love of a young man for their queen, Odette, can destroy this curse. Rothbart hovers around the lake, disguised as an owl. Siegfried arrives and sees a swan whom he is about to shoot; the bird meanwhile transforms into the beautiful Odette. Siegfried falls at once under the charm of her beauty and swears to her his undying love which has the power to break von Rothbart’s spell. At dawn, the maidens must become swans once more, and Siegfried bids farewell to Odette.

ACT II
Scene I The Ballroom
in Siegfried’s Palace
Siegfried must choose a bride from among the young princesses who have been summoned
to a ball. None of them pleases him, for the memory of Odette obsesses him. Suddenly, von Rothbart appears in the guise of a knight, bringing with him his daughter, Odile, whom he has made to look exactly like Odette. If Siegfried falls under her sway, then his oath to Odette will be broken, and she must remain a swan forever. So it happens, and Siegfried promises to marry Odile. As von Rothbart and his daughter rejoice at their triumph, a white swan is seen outside the ballroom windows, and Siegfried despairingly hastens to the lake.

Scene II Beside the Lake
The swan-maidens have learned of the tragedy that has befallen Odette. As they wait for her return near the lake, Siegfried appears, desperate to beg Odette to forgive him. Von Rothbart appears as they reminisce over their short-lived happiness, and he tries to separate Odette and Siegfried. Siegfried and Rothbart fight and Rothbart is mortally wounded and dies. Odette tries to save Siegfried, but to no avail; he also dies, leaving Odette alone, and the swans fly away.