Photo: Bel Air ClassiquesTchaikovsky: Swan Lake (Bolshoi Ballet Live)
Two Faces of One Swan
By day she is Odette—pure, sorrowful, a cursed swan princess. By night she becomes Odile—the black swan, seductive, lethal, gleaming with wicked light.
One dancer, two souls. This is Swan Lake’s ultimate test for a ballerina.
And in this live video from January 25, 2015 at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, the one taking that test is Svetlana Zakharova.
Why Zakharova
If you can watch only one dancer perform Swan Lake, many would say: watch Zakharova.
Her arms are real wings—every sweep carries wind. When she turns into the Black Swan, even the angle of her spine spells arrogance. Critics call her “the most beautiful Odette of our time”—not flattery, but physical description.
Denis Rodkin, the Bolshoi’s leading man of the new generation, is her partner; their pas de deux is the heart of this version.
The Grigorovich Version
This is choreographer Yuri Grigorovich’s version—created for the Bolshoi in 1969, fusing the classical skeleton of Petipa and Ivanov with Soviet-era drama.
It has a distinctive ending: Siegfried battles the Evil Genius and fails—love cannot conquer fate. Colder than the “happy ending” versions. More Russian.
The Bolshoi and Taiwan
The name Bolshoi appeared in Taiwan long ago.
In June 1993, the “Bolshoi Ballet Stars” took the stage at Taipei’s Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall to dance Act II of Swan Lake—with the legendary prima Bessmertnova herself. Thirty years before this DVD, Taiwanese audiences had already met the real Bolshoi.
Why Collect It
If you can’t fly to Moscow, this DVD is the closest you’ll get to the Bolshoi stage.
The DTS-HD audio presents Tchaikovsky’s score in full, and the cameras take you into the orchestra pit and wings. And—you can pause, rewind, and watch Zakharova’s fouetté a hundred times.
Further Listening
Also in the series is Bel Air’s release of the Bolshoi’s La Bayadère—again starring Zakharova under Sorokin—another pearl of these Moscow recordings.
About the Performer
Russian ballerina (b. 1979), principal of the Bolshoi and étoile of La Scala, People's Artist of Russia. Widely regarded as the greatest Odette/Odile of her generation.
Russian dancer (b. 1990), leading principal of the Bolshoi Ballet.
Russian conductor, longtime conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra.
About the Composer
Russian composer (1840–1893). Swan Lake (1877) was the first of his three ballets and is among the most beloved works in all ballet.
Taiwan Performance History
In June 1993, the 'Bolshoi Ballet Stars' ensemble performed Act II of Swan Lake and other ballet pieces at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, with legendary prima Natalia Bessmertnova dancing—marking the first visit by Bolshoi dancers to Taiwan. The stars of this film, Zakharova and Rodkin, have no documented personal performances in Taiwan.