Act I
Pas de Trois · First Female Variation
The first of Benno's two partners performs her solo during the palace festivities. Times are for the full ballet video above.
- Start
- 18:12
- End
- 19:50
- Duration
- 1:38
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Full ballet · The story of Odette and Siegfried
Swan Lake
Prince Siegfried meets Odette, a princess who has been turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer. He promises to love her, but at a royal ball he is tricked into choosing Odile instead.
- Music
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Choreography
- Marius Petipa / Lev Ivanov · 1895
- Featured performance
- St Petersburg Ballet Theatre
- Featured ballerina
- Irina Kolesnikova
Odette · Act II · The enchanted lake
Watch the performance
Watch Swan Lake
This performance features Irina Kolesnikova with the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre. The video begins at 31:16. To see the opening scenes, select “Watch from the beginning” below.
St Petersburg Ballet Theatre · Irina KolesnikovaVideo on YouTube · starts at 31:16
Open video on YouTube at 31:16 ↗Act I
Pas de Trois · Male Variation
Benno joins two young women of the court in a dance for Siegfried's birthday celebration. Times are for the full ballet video above.
- Start
- 20:02
- End
- 21:11
- Duration
- 1:09
Act I
Pas de Trois · Second Female Variation
The second young woman takes her turn in the Pas de Trois at Siegfried's birthday party. Times are for the full ballet video above.
- Start
- 21:24
- End
- 22:34
- Duration
- 1:10
Act II
Odette · Act II
Odette meets Siegfried beside the lake and tells him about Rothbart's curse. Times are for the full ballet video above.
- Start
- 1:01:41
- End
- 1:04:00
- Duration
- 2:19
Act III
Siegfried · Act III Variation
At the royal ball, Siegfried believes Odile is Odette and dances with her. Times are for the full ballet video above.
- Start
- 1:35:18
- End
- 1:36:28
- Duration
- 1:10
Act III
Odile · Act III
Odile charms Siegfried at the ball as she helps Rothbart deceive him. Times are for the full ballet video above.
- Start
- 1:36:46
- End
- 1:38:54
- Duration
- 2:08
The story
The story of Swan Lake, act by act
Follow Siegfried and Odette from the prince's birthday party to the enchanted lake and the royal ball. Some productions divide the story differently or change the ending.
I
The palace gardens
Siegfried's birthday celebration
Prince Siegfried celebrates his birthday with his friends and the royal court. His mother reminds him that he must choose a bride at the upcoming ball. Later, Siegfried follows a flock of swans toward the lake.
During the celebration, Siegfried's friend Benno and two young women perform the Pas de Trois for the guests.
II
The lake at night
Siegfried meets Odette
At the lake, Siegfried meets Odette, a princess cursed by the sorcerer Rothbart. She and other young women are swans by day and regain human form at night. Siegfried falls in love with her and promises to remain faithful.
Odette's variation belongs to the lakeside scene, where she tells Siegfried about her life under Rothbart's spell.
III
The royal ball
Odile tricks Siegfried
Rothbart arrives at the ball with his daughter Odile, who looks like Odette. Believing she is his beloved, Siegfried declares his love for Odile and chooses her as his bride. When he discovers the trick, he rushes back to the lake.
The Black Swan pas de deux, including the variations of Odile and Siegfried, takes place during this deception.
IV
The lake
Siegfried returns to Odette
Siegfried returns to Odette and begs her forgiveness. They face Rothbart and the spell that has kept Odette captive. The ending varies by production: some versions are tragic, while others end with Rothbart defeated and the lovers reunited.
Watch this production's final scene to see how it ends the story.
Characters
Meet the characters
Odette and Odile are often danced by the same ballerina, but they are different characters. Odette is the princess under a spell; Odile is Rothbart's daughter, who helps trick Siegfried.
The princess under a spell
Odette
Rothbart's curse turns Odette into a swan during the day. She hopes Siegfried's faithful love can set her free.
The prince who falls in love with Odette
Prince Siegfried
Expected to choose a bride, Siegfried instead falls in love with Odette. But at the ball, he is tricked into declaring his love for Odile.
Rothbart's daughter
Odile
She arrives at the royal ball looking like Odette and helps her father trick Siegfried into breaking his promise.
The evil sorcerer
Rothbart
He has placed Odette and the other swan maidens under a spell. He brings Odile to the ball to deceive Siegfried.
Siegfried's mother
The Queen Mother
She expects her son to choose a bride and reminds him of his responsibilities as a prince.
Other young women under Rothbart's spell
The Swan Maidens
Like Odette, they are swans by day and return to human form at night, when they gather by the lake.
Ballet history
How Swan Lake became a classic
1877 · Moscow. Swan Lake premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
1895 · St Petersburg. Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov staged a new production at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. Their version helped shape the Swan Lake performed today, although later productions have made their own changes.
About this performance. The video features Irina Kolesnikova with the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre. Its scenes and ending may differ from other versions of the ballet.
For dancers. Each variation belongs to a particular moment in the story: the palace celebration, Odette's meeting with Siegfried, or the royal ball. Choreography and music can vary between productions.