ItB次元官网网址檚 hard to believe that TchaikovskyB次元官网网址檚 Swan Lake was initially deemed a failure when it premiered in 1877.

The ballet, now the worldB次元官网网址檚 second most performed after Nutcracker, not only is one of the most popular ballets of all time but also has music and a narrative that permeates throughout our culture.

B次元官网网址淚t has that kind of power, aesthetic and beauty and then, of course, the universal theme of light and dark, love and evil,B次元官网网址� said Paul Destrooper, artistic director of Ballet Victoria. B次元官网网址淚 think those are timeless human concepts that everybody loves to play with, and the music is absolutely brilliant.B次元官网网址�

As Ballet Victoria prepared for its production of Swan Lake, running May 17-18, artistic director Paul Destrooper reflected on the balletB次元官网网址檚 difficulty.

Swan Lake is famous for the 32 fouett茅s en tournant in Act 3, an incredible athletic feat. A fouett茅 rond de jambe en tournant is a difficult spin that involves a quick whipping movement of the raised leg in ballet usually accompanying a pirouette. Done 32 times, itB次元官网网址檚 one of the most difficult moves a dancer can do. These fouett茅s are danced at the end of the Black Swan pas de deux by the ballerina playing Odile.

The production as a whole is so challenging for ballerinas that they may use up to three pairs of pointe shoes during one performance, reads the Ballet Victoria website.

But its ballerinas work to make it look effortless, said Destrooper.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 also extremely demanding at the mental level,B次元官网网址� he said, noting the precision it takes.

B次元官网网址淭he commitment for an Olympic athlete is the same as a dancer,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淥ur physique is also an evolution of the art form.B次元官网网址�

What he loves about Swan Lake is that the swan embodies both power and grace, the movement qualities of classical ballet.

B次元官网网址淟ike how smoothly they move in the water. How graceful and powerful they are when they fly. ItB次元官网网址檚 the perfect animal to embody.

B次元官网网址淎nd the black swan, itB次元官网网址檚 very exciting choreography.B次元官网网址�

Swan Lake runs May 17-18 at the Royal Theatre. Tickets start at $34 at rmts.bc.ca.

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