HISTORIC ARTICLE

HISTORIC ARTICLE

Feb 20, 1877 CE: Swan Lake Ballet Premieres

Feb 20, 1877 CE: Swan Lake Ballet Premieres

On February 20, 1877, the ballet Swan Lake, with music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, made its debut at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia.

Grades

9 - 12

Subjects

Arts and Music

Image

Ballerinas, Berlin

Photo: Dancers sitting in costume

Photograph by Maria Helena Buckley, My Shot
Photo: Dancers sitting in costume
Selected text level

On February 20, 1877, the ballet Swan Lake, with music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, made its debut at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia. Today, Swan Lake is one of the most popular ballets in the world. The leading ballerina actually has to perform two roles—the “White Swan” and the “Black Swan.” Odette, the “White Swan,” is one of the most difficult roles for a ballerina. She must be graceful, athletic, and able to perform complex movements, such as fouettes. A fouette is a fast turn made on one foot. In one part of the ballet, the ballerina playing Odette must perform 32 fouettes in a row! Swan Lake is also a difficult ballet for the corps de ballet. The corps de ballet is the group of dancers who are not soloists. In Swan Lake, the corps de ballet are all women playing swans. They must perform in unison, sometimes with linked arms. In one version of Swan Lake, the corps de ballet are all men!

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Writer
National Geographic Society
Producer
National Geographic Society
other
Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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