synopsis |

SWAN LAKE, Royal Danish Ballet 2015.




Act I

The King is dead and his son, the young Prince Siegfried, faces having to seize power in the country. His friend, Benno, the Jester and the Faculty with von Rothbart at its head celebrate him as their new king. The Queen informs him that it must now be time he finds a suitable bride. In court the melancholy prince is given a crossbow as a symbol of the beginning of his adulthood.

Siegfried goes to the woods. By the lakeside he sees the most beautiful, white swan and makes ready to shoot it, but in that very moment it transforms into a woman. She tells him that she along with the other swans are bewitched; by daylight they are swans, at night they take human form again. The spell can only be broken by a man who will love her and remain true.

Siegfried and the swan princess, Odette, fall deeply in love and she asks him to take a vow of fidelity. He vows eternal loyalty to her and promises never to break his oath. Von Rothbart shows up and Odette once again becomes a swan.



Act II

Prince Siegfried must choose a wife and the Queen arranges a ball to which she invites four princesses from Hungary, Russia, Spain and Italy respectively. The princesses dance for Siegfried, but none of them are to his liking.

Von Rothbart arrives at the party and presents the Prince with his daughter, Odile, who is dressed in black, but otherwise looks wholly like Odette. Siegfried now thinks that Odile is Odette and he vows eternal loyalty to her as well. Soon the Prince realises his fateful decision and von Rothbart triumphantly leaves with Odile.

By the forest lake, the swans are saddened and try to comfort Odette. Despairingly Siegfried finds Odette to ask for mercy and in a last, loving meeting, she forgives him. But von Rothbart's evil is stronger than their love and they must succumb to his power.