<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/SWAN-LAKE-PIC.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2063" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/SWAN-LAKE-PIC-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake

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Swan Lake is a monumental ballet composed in 1875 that was the center stage of Romantic ballet. While telling the story of the beautiful Swan Princess Odette, this ballet is able to show the innovations in theatrical effects and its showcase of new styles such as pointe shoe dancing.
Commissioned by Vladmir Petrovich Begichev of the Russian Imperial Theatres(1), it was very unsuccessful in its first running. It wasn’t until famous choreographers Petipa and Ivanov’s revision did the ballet become what it destined to be, a raging hit. The modern Swan Lake is based on the revision.
Swan Lake is about Princess Odette who is turned into a swan by the evil Sorcerer Rothbart who is both part Swan and human. After her imprisonment, the handsome Prince Siegfried goes on a hunting trip and sees the beautiful Odette who is only able to become human again during the night. He instantly falls in love. Odette explains to him that only when a man vows true love to her will the spell be broken. He invites her to his birthday party where he plans on vowing his love to her. Aware of his plans, Rothbart send his daughter, the Black Swan in her place. On accident, he vows his love to the black swan and Odette is distraught. Realizing what he’s done, he flees to the lake and tells Odette that he would rather be dead the vow his love to someone else. They then recede into the lake together and the ballet ends.
Swan Lake is a Romantic Era ballet and it lives up to the characteristics of its time. The previous Classical Era was all about restraint and restriction. The Romantic era was the complete opposite with creativity and imagination greatly encouraged. “The heroine of romantic ballets symbolized the elusive ideas and love and beauty that were a favorite subject of the romantic poet.”(3) Most of these ballets centered around the angelic female and the ideal romantic ballerina was a version of the eternal female. A main component of the romantic style is the fixation of the supernatural. This includes Rothbart and Odette being turned into a swan. Many of the ballets and artworks during this period shed light from eternal beings and folk tales. Swan Lake was composed based on Russian mythology. Also, eternal love was a common theme. Dancing en pointe was also popular during this time period. “It was perhaps Marie Taglioni who, at the height of the Romantic Era, developed the aesthetic beauty of pointe work, which enabled her to appear ethereal and weightless.”(4) This weightlessness along with new gaslight theatre lighting helped create beautiful scenes where the ballerina actually appears to “float”.
During the time of its first running, Swan Lake had great difficulty and wasn’t very popular. The music was thought to be very difficult to dance to. The original choreographer, Julius Reisinger, required demanding physical skill from his dancers to perform flawlessly. It was even said that “The prestige with performing Swan Lake flawlessly was invaluable.”- Unknown. The revised version we see today is fantastic. It has been performed and adapted by ballet troupes for almost 150 years.
I have never seen Swan Lake personally but the clips that I have been able to find are fascinating. The ballerina’s are so fluid and graceful. It makes sense though because they are portraying swans. Like the Romantic era, women dominate the roles with just two men, the sorcerer Rothbart and Prince Siegfried. The dances are beautiful and I think future generations should be able to see Romantic ballet at its best.

Works Cited
1. "A Profile of Swan Lake: The History of Swan Lake." Classical Music at About.com - Classical Music for Beginners and Experts Alike. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. .

2. "Swan Lake Story | English National Ballet." English National Ballet - The Home of Ballet. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. .

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkzf9sYQYJc&amp;feature=related

4. "To The Pointe -- A Brief History of the Pointe Shoe." Parke Family Web Site. Web. 09 Nov. 2011. .