Swan Lake: Reimagining A Classic

(Hardback, Illustrated edition)

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This beautifully produced new Royal Ballet branded book with photographs by Bill Cooper is a collection of exclusive photographs which shines the spotlight on Swan Lake. These exquisite photos feature some of the finest dancers on stage today and give an exclusive insight into the Royal Ballets work. Swan Lake was Tchaikovskys first score for the ballet. Given its status today as arguably the best-loved and most admired of all classical ballets, it is perhaps surprising that at its premiere in 1877 Swan Lake was poorly received. It is thanks to the 1895 production by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov that Swan Lake has become part of not only ballet consciousness but also wider popular culture. That success is secured not only by the sublime, symphonic sweep of Tchaikovskys score but also by the striking choreographic contrasts between Petipas royal palace scenes and the lyric lakeside scenes created by Ivanov. Swan Lake has had a special role in the repertory of The Royal Ballet since 1934. Since then there has been a succession of productions, the most recent of which was overseen by Anthony Dowell. The 2019 Season sees a new production with additional choreography by ROH Artist-in-Residence Liam Scarlett. Scarlett, while remaining faithful to the Petipa-Ivanov text, will bring fresh eyes to the staging of this classic ballet, in collaboration with his long-term designer John Macfarlane.

Author Bio

Bill Cooper is one of the UK's top performing arts photographers. In addition to the Royal Ballet, he has worked with Sadler's Wells, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. A former dancer himself, he is uniquely placed to capture the excitement of the production and the grace and beauty of the dancers.