‘Swan Lake’ to be performed at Benedum May 6-15
The classic ballet "Swan Lake" will be performed at the Benedum Center May 6-15.
Courtesy of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
A number of educational activities bring the opportunity to learn more about 鈥淪wan Lake,鈥� sent to be performed in Pittsburgh May 6-15.
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre invites audiences to fall under the spell of the enduring love story 鈥淪wan Lake鈥� Friday, May 6 through Sunday, May 15 at the Benedum Center.
With new staging by Artistic Director Susan Jaffe and an iconic Tchaikovsky score performed by the PBT Orchestra, audiences will be enchanted by this timeless tale of love and betrayal.
鈥淪wan Lake鈥� tells the story of the beautiful princess Odette, cursed by the evil wizard Von Rothbart to live as a swan by day, only able to assume her human guise in the hours of darkness. When the young Prince Siegfried witnesses her transformation from a swan into a beautiful maiden, he discovers that the spell can only be broken by her true love. However, the wicked Von Rothbart and his daughter Odile have other plans up their sleeves.
In addition to the performances, PBT is offering a number of virtual and in-person free educational programs associated with the production.
鈥溾�楽wan Lake鈥� has had an immense cultural impact over the last 150 years and we鈥檙e so excited to bring its rich text to life for audiences through a vibrant range of programs,鈥� said Director of Education and Community Engagement Kathryn Gigler. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 global moment offers us the opportunity to engage audiences around Swan Lake鈥檚 place in a complex sociopolitical context as well as its transcendent beauty as a work of art.鈥�
Educational programs include:
n Dance the Story, a movement-based story time for children on Thursday, May 5 at 5:30 p.m., live on Zoom;
n 鈥淭he Fascinating History of Swan Lake: The World鈥檚 Most Beloved Ballet,鈥� on Thursday, May 5 at 7 p.m., live on Zoom. The program features an introduction to the ballet with dance historian and bestselling author Elizabeth Kaye;
n Director鈥檚 Cut, Friday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Benedum Center features an opening night conversation between Kaye and Jaffe about Jaffe鈥檚 new choreography for the ballet. Space is limited;
n ViewPointe, Saturday, May 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Benedum Center features PBT Music Director and Principal Conductor Charles Barker previewing the ballet and its score;
n Ballet Warmup, Sunday, May 8 at 1 p.m. at the Benedum Center. Attendees will watch the last few minutes of company class and talk with Principal Dancer Alejandro Diaz about the role of Prince Siegfried;
n Dancer Q&A on Sunday, May 8, after the performance at the Benedum Center. Retiring Principal Dancer Alexandra Kochis will share her 鈥淪wan Lake鈥� story;
n A two-part virtual series hosted by PBT and World Affairs Council Pittsburgh examines 鈥淪wan Lake鈥� as a cultural touchpoint in the context of Russia鈥檚 current war on Ukraine, as well as the role of artistic performance in cultural exchange and global conflict. The Wednesday, May 4 session is 鈥淩econsidering 鈥楽wan Lake鈥�: Culture and Context.鈥� The Wednesday, May 11 session is 鈥淐ultural Exchange and Global Conflict: 鈥楽wan Lake鈥� and Beyond.鈥�
Both sessions will be held at noon via Zoom.
To register for any of the educational sessions, visit pbt.org/swan-lake.