Swan Lake is a mythical ballet with many versions performed over the years. It is coming back to Place des Arts in Montreal, driven by the vision of Krzysztof Pastor, with live music by Les Grands Ballets Orchestra.

Roles

Tsarevich Nicolas, heir to the Russian throne
Alix-Odette, princess of Hesse, his beloved from his youth
Mathilde, the ballerina Kschessinska, his lover
Tsar Alexander, Nicky’s father
Volkov The Hussar, Nicky’s aide-de-camp

The Story of this Ballet

Torn between tenderness and desire, white and black swan, a young prince is lost between his two loves. On Tchaikovsky's score, we relive this grand love story, set this time in the imperial court of Tsar Alexander III.

A celebrated Romantic ballet, Tchaikovsky’s first ballet composition, Swan Lake, remains incredibly popular throughout the world. In a first ever visit to Montreal, the Polish National Ballet, driven by the vision of Artistic Director Krzysztof Pastor, breaks new ground by presenting this monument of the repertoire.

Preserving the essence of the original ballet, the plot unfolds in Imperial Russia. The Tsarevich Nicholas is torn between his first love, Alix of Hesse, and his infatuation with a ballerina named Mathilde Kschessinska, an affair that causes a stir at the St. Petersburg court on the eve of his accession to the throne. Straddling reality and fantasy, this spectacular production was an outright triumph at its premiere in Warsaw in 2017 and an immense achievement of overwhelming grace.