One of the immortal masterpieces of 19th-century ballet history by Marius Petipa. First performed in 1877 at the Bol’šoj Theater in Moscow, despite Tchaikovsky‘s music, it did not have the immediate success that was later achieved in 1894, when it was staged at the Marijinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Swan Lake tells the enchanting love story between the young prince Siegfried and Odette, an otherworldly creature transformed into a swan by the perfidious wizard Rothbart for rejecting his love.
Reviving the excitement of this classic with its muffled atmosphere is the Iasi Opera Ballet, one of the most acclaimed ballet companies that has been touring throughout Europe for more than twenty-four years. Evocative light designs and sets will immerse the audience in the hall in the candid atmosphere of the world’s most famous swan lake.

PLOT

Act I
A party is held in the garden of a princess’ castle in honor of her son Siegfried, who is celebrating coming of age. He spends the time surrounded by friends. In the midst of the feast, the Queen Mother appears, announcing to her son that the time has come to marry. For this purpose, a grand ball will be organized for the following evening, during which several girls will be presented to him to choose his future bride. The party continues after the princess leaves, with ensemble dancing, with the jester’s jokes and gimmicks, followed indulgently by the prince’s dance teacher. Then, later, the guests enter the castle. Siegfried remains behind them, wanting to be alone with his thoughts. As the dance teacher and the jester follow him, the prince makes his way pensively to the lakeshore in the castle grounds, where the mysterious ruins of an ancient palace can be glimpsed. His thoughts are interrupted by the appearance of a flock of swans, which flies past, stopping on the other shore near the ruins. Eager to hunt them down, the prince takes his crossbow and runs alone into the forest. In this finale, the wonderful swan theme resonates in all its romantic scope, like a leitmotif.

Act II
Across the lake, ruins are reflected somberly in the calm water. One after another, floating white swans appear on the mirror of the lake. Reaching the shore, they turn into lightly dancing girls. Siegfried, following the swans, targets the most beautiful one, and is amazed by their miraculous transformation. At first somewhat frightened, the swans surround him, and the most beautiful of them, Odette, reveals their secret. The evil genius, Rothbart, has turned them into swans, and only in this lonely place, at night, can they regain, for a few moments, their human features. Siegfried is determined to fight to defeat Rothbart, but Odette warns him that fighting will not be the solution to breaking the curse. The spell will only be dispelled by the boundless love of a young man who professes his love by inviting her to the next day’s ball to present her as his bride. Excited, he awaits the long-awaited moment. Odette, however, tells him that he cannot appear among the humans until the spell has worn off, or else he would incur the vengeance of Rothbart, who, by deception, would break the plan to Siegfried, causing the death of the swans. In the white light of dawn, the two young men part with difficulty. From the shadows, Rothbart observes Siegfried’s conversation with Odette. Infuriated, he appears, driving out the prince and turning the girls into swans. But Siegfried departs determined to break the spell of this spirit of darkness to save his betrothed.

Act III
The guests arrive in the great hall of the Princess’s palace, at the ball where the girls from which Siegfried will choose his fiancée will be presented.
The dances are joyously initiated (a tumultuous Spanish dance, then a cheerful Neapolitan tarantella, a Polish mazurka, and finally a Hungarian csardâs). Then, in the elegant sway of a waltz, there is the presentation of the girls. Thinking of Odette, Siegfried looks at them indifferently and, when asked to choose, cannot make up his mind. Suddenly a new guest, a somber knight, appears, accompanying a young woman dressed in black. This, although she has Odette’s features, is none other than Rothbart’s sister Odille. The evil genius orders her to conquer Siegfried, causing him to break his oath. In a grand pos de deux, Odille envelops him in her charms, convincing him that she is the beautiful swan he has fallen in love with. Believing in this apparition, Siegfried presents Odille to his mother as his fiancée and future bride, unknowingly breaking his oath. Rothbart, in a fit of malice, reveals the truth to him, confessing that she is his sister, showing him in the distance the image of Odette, who must now die. Filled with grief, the young man realizes that he has been the victim of deception. Heedless of the despair of those around him, he runs toward the swan lake.

Act IV
From the darkness that guards the castle ruins, Rothbart follows the swans, searching for Odette. But the beautiful swan is not among them, which infuriates Rothbart, who threatens them with death. Later Odette arrives, having seen from afar what has happened in Siegfried’s castle. She painfully tells her friends about the betrayal of the vow of love. Hopes have been dashed forever. Running madly through the forest, Siegfried arrives at the shore of the lake, searching for Odette. He confesses with despair that he has been deceived, that his love has remained pure. But once the oath is broken, nothing can be corrected. Relentless, the swans leave him, one by one. However, Odette’s love is greater than Rothbart’s charm. Moved by Siegfried’s turmoil, she returns and forgives him. The evil genie appears from the ruins, trying to separate them. He unleashes a powerful storm, strikes Siegfried, but fails to separate them. Faced with their strong love, the spell is broken and the evil genie is consumed by the darkness of the night.