Mariinsky Theatre

At length, only a third of the original remained, and not the best.

The ballet dropped out of the Moscow repertory, and it was not until 1894 that the enterprising Marius Petipa wrote to Moscow for the full score and produced Swan Lake with brilliant success at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on January 15, 1895.

It has since remained a repertory staple, both the current Ballets Russes and the Ballet Theatre having staged it successfully.

Pavlova, Karsavina, and Markova, among others, have interpreted the heroine Odette, and Prince Siegfried has been embodied by Nijinsky, Lifar, Mordkin, and Dolan.

Using a musical score composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky between achtzehnhundertfünfundsiebzig and achtzehnhundertsechsundsiebzig, the ballet achieved its most famous form through the choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov in achtzehnhundertfünfundneunzig.

Its first performance took place at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg with the Imperial Ballet.

The story features a dual lead role where a white swan and a black swan represent the opposing forces of good and evil.

These roles are considered some of the most difficult and technical parts for a dancer in the history of Romantic ballet.

And London's love affair with the great Russian companies had begun.

The Bolshoi would return, the rival Kirov would come, and in 1961, the Cold War and ballet would collide spectacularly when Rudolf Nureyev defected in Paris.

But that's another story.

Today belongs to October 3rd, 1956.

At length, only a third of the original remained, and not the best.

The ballet dropped out of the Moscow repertory, and it was not until 1894 that the enterprising Marius Petipa wrote to Moscow for the full score and produced Swan Lake with brilliant success at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on January 15, 1895.

It has since remained a repertory staple, both the current Ballets Russes and the Ballet Theatre having staged it successfully.

Pavlova, Karzavina, and Markova, among others, have interpreted the heroine Odette, and Prince Siegfried has been embodied by Nijinsky, Lifar, Mortkin, and Dolan.