Royal Ballet hits the big screen
Swan Lake screening brings London ballet company to UK audiences
They are Britain’s most famous ballet company. Yet for dance fans outside of London, seeing the Royal Ballet involves both miles and money.
But although UK touring isn’t on the company’s agenda, its popular programme of film screenings is bringing classic productions to the masses – the latest of which is Swan Lake.
Choreographed by former Royal Ballet artistic director, Anthony Dowell, this opulent ‘big white’ has been a firm favourite with ballet fans since it was first created in the late 19th century. The combination of Tchaikovsky’s heart-breaking score, a tragic storyline and all that beautiful pointe work from the corps de ballet is hard to resist.
Introduced by former Royal Ballet principal turned Strictly Come Dancing judge, Darcey Bussell, the performance will be screened live on Tuesday 17 March, with a repeat screening on 22 March. Russian principal Natalia Osipova will dance the notoriously difficult dual roles of Odette and Odile, while Canadian principal Matthew Golding will play Prince Siegfried.
‘Swan Lake is perhaps the best-loved of all the great 19th century classic ballets,’ says the Royal Ballet’s current artistic director, Kevin O’Hare. ‘It was originally staged in 1877 but it wasn’t until 1895 when the ballet was brilliantly restaged by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov that audiences fully appreciated its romantic and dramatic scope, and Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score.
‘Anthony’s production was created in 1987 and since then it has delighted audiences wherever we have performed it. It's particularly exciting that it will now be shown live in cinemas across the world – something that could never have been imagined when the ballet was first created.’
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