Swan Lake graces the stage

If you've never seen ‘Swan Lake’, now is the time as it's back on Leeside.

Cork City Ballet’s production promises to be spectacular, from the opulent costumes, direct from the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersbug, to the alluring sets like the opening scene's gold-tinged, tree-framed park in the shadow of the great castle and lake.

The company’s full length production of this ballet lays claim to a legacy that extends back to its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1895.

Speaking at the recent launch of Swan Lake, Artistic Director Alan Foley said: “Unlike the unalloyed tragedy most people cherish, this version ends with a fairy-tale twist. Yuri Demakov and I have re-produced the original Petipa/Ivanov choreography where the Prince destroys the evil sorcerer Rothbart, and is joyfully reunited with the Swan Queen.”

All the well-loved elements are still in place including the famous cygnets’ dance for four girls, the exquisite white swan pas de deux and the act three climactic black swan pas de deux complete with thirty two fouettés all wrapped up in Tchaikovsky’s glorious score.

Bolshoi ballet star Andrei Bolotin will partner with Russian prima ballerina Ekaterina Bortyakova in the lead roles of Odette/Odile and Prince Siegfried, and they will be accompanied by soloists and a full corps de ballet.

Swan Lake opens at the Cork Opera House on Thursday 7 November at 8pm and runs until 9 November, with a matinee on Saturday at 2.30pm.