Maine State Ballet Presents SWAN LAKE, 3/24-4/9

Maine State Ballet celebrates the 140th Anniversary of Swan Lake with a three week, 12 performance run of the quintessential classic ballet, March 24 through April 9, at Maine State Ballet's Lopez Theater.

Swan Lake premiered in 1877 at Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet, but is the 1895 production by the Mariinksy Theater in St. Petersburg, with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, that has become the standard for most modern productions. Maine State Ballet's Swan Lake, performed in four acts, incorporates much of the sacrosanct Petipa/Ivanov choreography, along with original choreography by Artistic Director Linda MacArthur Miele. With costume and set design by Gail Csoboth and all new lighting design by Fred Bernier, this production promises to be a feast for the senses.

According to Miele, staging a full production of Swan Lake puts a great deal of pressure on a ballet company, and that's why many companies don't do it. "A company has to reach a certain level of maturity before they can even consider staging Swan Lake. The technique has to be there, and strength. Only then can you move on to the artistry that makes this ballet one of the most beloved of all time." she says. "Be prepared to cry, it's so beautiful."

Principal Dancer Rhiannon Pelletier and Principal Soloist Veronica Druchniak split the iconic role of the Swan Queen, Odette/Odile, one of the most technically and artistically demanding roles in classical ballet. Principal Dancers Nathaniel Dombek and Glenn Davis share the role of Prince Siegfried, and Fred Bernier portrays the evil sorcerer Count Von Rothbart.

Steeped in Russian tradition, Swan Lake originally had a tragic ending. But after World War II, the Bolshoi Ballet, believing the world had seen enough of tragedy and death, created a new, happier ending for Prince Siegfried and his beloved Odette. Maine State Ballet, in keeping with its family friendly values, chose the happy ending for its version of Swan Lake.

Maine State Ballet's Swan Lake runs March 24 through April 9, 2017, at the Maine State Ballet Lopez Theater, 348 U.S. Route One, Falmouth. Performance times are Friday evenings at 7:00pm, Saturdays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm.

Maine State Ballet, based in Falmouth, Maine, is one of New England's leading performing arts institutions and twice named Maine's Best Dance Group by Downeast Magazine. Its two components are the School for the Performing Arts, offering instruction in ballet, tap, jazz and other dance styles to more than 500 children and adults; and the Maine State Ballet Company, comprised of more than 25 professional dancers. Maine State Ballet is a nonprofit organization.

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