What happens when you combine one of the world’s greatest ballets with an amazing ballet company

That’s exactly what theatergoers discovered when the Russian Grand Ballet performed the iconic Swan Lake at the Ahmanson Theatre on Oct. 27.

Swan Lake was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky sometime in 1875 or 1876. It premiered on Mar. 4, 1877 as a benefit performance for ballerina Pelageya Karpakova. However, it was received with almost unanimous criticism concerning everything from the dancers, to the orchestra, and even the stage sets. Even Tchaikovsky’s music was attacked for being “too complicated for ballet”, but it became recognized as one of his most valuable works, pushing him into the world of the most important ballet composers.

The origins of the story itself are still highly debated. It may be based on a story by the German author Johann Karl August Musaus, but also bears resemblance to the Russian folktale “The White Duck”. However, the most accurate speculation may be that of Fyodor Lopukhov, a famous Soviet choreographer, who argued that Swan Lake was a “national ballet” with themes that originated from Russian romantic sources and movements resembling Slavonic ring-dances.

The tale tells of Prince Siegfrid and his love Odette. His mother tells him that he must choose a bride at the royal ball the next evening. To try to lift his spirits, his friend Benno sees a flock of swans passing overhead and suggests that they go on a hunt. He becomes separated from his friends and arrives at a lakeside clearing just as a flock of swans land nearby. The prince is about to shoot one when it turns into a beautiful girl. She explains that she is the Swan Queen Odette, and that she and her companions are the victim of a curse cast by the evil sorcerer Rothbart. During the day, they become swans and only at night can they return to the enchanted lake and return to human form. Siegfrid swears to kill Rothbart, but Odette stops him, explaining that the spell can only be broken if “one who has never loved before swears to love Odette forever”, and if Rothbart dies before the spell is broken, it can never be undone.

The next night, Rothbart appears at the royal ball with his enchantress daughter, Odile, who has transformed to appear as Odette. The real Odette appears as a vision in an attempt to show Siegfrid that he is being deceived, but he remains oblivious and proclaims to the guests that he will marry Odile. Upon this declaration, Rothbart shows him a magical vision of Odette, and Siegrid runs away, stricken with grief. Distraught at Siegfrid’s betrayal, Odette is resigned to death. The prince apologizes and she forgives him, but Rothbart appears and insists that Siegfrid marry Odile as promised. Siegfrid decides to die alongside Odette and they leap into the lake, breaking the spell. It’s easy to see why this heartbreaking tale has captivated audiences for years. So, how do you make such an amazingly choreographed piece even better? Simple: have the Russian Grand Ballet perform it.

The Russian Grand Ballet was founded by graduates of prestigious academies in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kiev in 2005. The company is led by award-winning ballet master Andrey Litvinov and consists of over fifty dancers, with renowned guests artists joining them each year. This production was part of the company’s third North American tour, which also includes performances of The Nutcracker. 

If you missed the chance to go to this performance of the Swan Lake by the Russian Grand Ballet, performances in California continue through Nov. 5. They will also be performing The Nutcracker in California Dec. 16-17 and 22-24. Tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.com and start at $25.