During the new season, the International Festival Ballet will once again present a very special gem of classical ballet: 'Swan Lake'.

The immortal ballet classics by Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky are known all over the world and never cease to enchant people of all ages. Everyone knows the romantic story of “Swan Lake” which features the white and the black swan and has become synonymous with the elegance of classical ballet at the highest level. The century-old sleep of Sleeping Beauty, from which only the love of a prince can rescue her, has enthralled audiences for generations. And the story of the ballet 'The Nutcracker' offers the perfect winter and Christmas magic for the whole family. The International Festival Ballet's unique performances bring popular ballets to life in ravishing beauty and perfection.

Classical ballet has a long tradition in Russia, which is still celebrated today. The country has produced many renowned prima ballerinas, dancers and choreographers. The renowned Russian ballet schools are known for their high standards and rigor, and the students for their drive to perform, their ambition and their enormous talent. The 42 dancers of the International Festival Ballet have also passed through this tough school, be it the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, the Moscow Academy of Choreography, the Ufa Ballet School or the Perm Ballet Academy. They have all worked in the main ballet theaters of Russia, Ukraine and Moldova and have won numerous prizes at international ballet festivals and competitions. Together, they have become one of the most aesthetically and technically successful ballet companies not only in Ost Europa, but also in the world as part of the International Festival Ballet. In addition to absolutely precise dance technique, this high-level ballet is distinguished by a harmonious and consistent overall image and elegant lightness. The International Festival Ballet shines with a perfect dance performance which takes the audience's breath away.

Festival Orchestra

The Festival Orchestra was founded by talented musicians from Moldova, Hungary, Ukraine and Latvia. The artistic director and principal conductor is a renowned conductor, Maestro Normunds Vaicis. The orchestra's repertoire includes works by Ravel, Debussy, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Massenet, Faure and Albegis, Gounod and many others. Music from classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote and many others is central to the repertoire. The orchestra has collaborated with renowned ballet ensembles from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The festival orchestra has performed with great success in France, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and other European countries and, despite its relatively small size, has established itself as one of the best ballet orchestras in Europe. In the near future they will perform Russian ballet seasons for the renowned International Festival Ballet company in Scandinavia, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria.

Swan Lake: a consummate work of art

'Swan Lake' is one of the most popular ballets and belongs to the international standard repertoire of the classical ballet. In spite of all, this ballet is a brilliant work of a brilliant composer Tchaikovsky and remains already since centuries a public magnet.

The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger. The ballet was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet on 4 March 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Although it is presented in many different versions, most ballet companies base their staging’s both choreographically and musically on the 1895 revival of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, first staged for the Imperial Ballet on 15 January 1895, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.

The popular classical ballet tells the tale of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. While hunting, Prince Siegfried sees an amazing swan. He takes aim to shoot, but the swan turns into a beautiful woman named Odette. She tells the prince that she is a princess who has come under the spell of an evil sorcerer. During the day she must be a swan and swim in a lake of tears. At night she is allowed to be a human again. The spell can only be broken if a prince promises eternal fidelity to her. She tells Prince Siegfried that if he refuses her she must remain a swan forever. Prince Siegfried falls in love with Odette, but an evil sorcerer puts a spell on him, making him accidentally propose to another woman. Princess Odette threatens to kill herself and throws herself into the lake. The Prince feels sorry and jumps into the lake with her. The couple become lovers in the afterlife.
Outstanding soloists and dancers, marvelous set design and costumes combined with a magnificent light design and wonderful music, it is what the International Festival Ballet offering the ballet lovers in all over the world.