Experience the beauty of the swan maidens, the delicate creatures of water and air...
This production of Swan Lake is a World Premiere, re-choreographed by Edwaard Liang for 2023.
Arguably the most famous ballet ever to be created, this story enthralls audiences with temptation, tragedy and undying love
Show Details
Notes Elements of every production such as show length, casting, dates, times, and entry policies are subject to change.
Run Time Approximately 2 hours
This ballet is a full length, meaning, one ballet with intermissions, similar to a book with chapters.
Choreographer Edwaard Liang
A former dancer with New York City Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater, Edwaard Liang has built an international reputation as a choreographer. Over the last decade, he has created work for the Bolshoi Ballet, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Kirov Ballet, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre and Washington Ballet.
Born in Taipei, Taiwan and raised in Marin County, California, Mr. Liang began his dance training at age five with Marin Ballet. After studying at the School of American Ballet, he joined New York City Ballet in 1993. That same year, he was a medal winner at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition and won the Mae L. Wien Award. By 1998, he was promoted to Soloist. In 2001, Mr. Liang joined the Tony Award® winning Broadway cast of Fosse. His performance in Fosse was later televised nationally on PBS’ Great Performances series – “Dance in America: From Broadway: Fosse,” and subsequently released on DVD. By 2002, Mr. Liang was invited by Jiri Kylian to become a member of the acclaimed Nederlands Dans Theater 1.
While dancing with NDT 1, Mr. Liang discovered his passion and love for choreography. Since establishing himself as a choreographer, his works have been performed by dance companies around the world and he has won numerous awards for his choreography including the 2006 National Choreographic Competition.
In 2013, Mr. Liang was named Artistic Director at BalletMet where he continues to choreograph new works for companies both domestically and abroad. In 2017, he received an Emmy® Award for his short dance film, “Vaulted.” In 2018, he created a new ballet with Roberto Bolle for the opening of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840, in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Vyatka, Russia. Tchaikovsky’s work was first publicly performed in 1865. In 1868, his First Symphony was well-received. In 1874, he established himself with Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat Minor. Tchaikovsky resigned from the Moscow Conservatory in 1878 and spent the rest of his career composing yet more prolifically. Tchaikovsky is most celebrated for his ballets, specifically Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. He died in St. Petersburg on November 6, 1893.
Swan Lake Presenting Sponsor
SUSAN AND GRANT DOUGLASS
In 1995, BalletMet asked Susan Douglass to join its Board and she said “Yes!”. BalletMet has been grateful to both Susan and Grant ever since. Susan and Grant and their family are incredible supporters of BalletMet. Susan has served as Board Chair twice, most recently helping BalletMet navigate through the pandemic. She has led capital campaigns, including the campaign that funded the purchase of BalletMet’s current home on Mount Vernon Avenue in 2005. Grant’s expertise has also served BalletMet well. His knowledge of the building and development industry was invaluable in deciding where to make BalletMet’s permanent home, determining how to create dance studios and a performance space in a former warehouse, whether to renovate or sell adjacent buildings and how to connect all the buildings on our dance campus. Just last season, Susan and Grant made Artistic Director Edwaard Liang’s vision to have actual trees as the scenery for the World Premiere of his ballet Seasons a reality. Susan and Grant are very special members of the BalletMet family and we thank them for helping make Swan Lake and so many other things possible for BalletMet and our community.
Behind the Curtain
Ohio Theatre
Get DirectionsMake A Night Of It With Entertainment Before And After The Show.
FAQ
Where do I park?
There are parking garages near the Ohio and the Capitol theatres, as well as limited metered street parking (most of which is free after 6 pm and on Sundays).
Ohio Statehouse Parking Garage
$5 during events
Enter from westbound Broad Street or Third Street.
Riffe Center Parking Garage
$5 during events
Enter from Front Street. Take the elevators to the third floor and proceed along the hall to the Davidson Theatre. (For the Box Office or Will Call, descend the escalators to the first floor.)
Downtown traffic can be heavy, so please plan ahead. We recommend arriving 20-30 minutes early to park, find your seat, explore the program and relax before the performance. Audience members who arrive late may not be seated until intermission.
What do I wear?
This is our most-asked question, and the answer is: You probably won’t feel out of place no matter what you wear. If you want to wear jeans, go for it—we promise you won’t be alone. If you want to dress up, feel free. Many others do, too. We don’t see as much formal-wear in the theater as we once did, though it wouldn’t be unusual to see a tux or a gown at a performance. Basically, anything goes.
Do the dancers talk?
No, dancers express the story or meaning through the movement. In some story ballets, dancers will use pantomime (exaggerated movements) to help you understand what’s happening. If you see a ballet with pantomime, head to the lobby, where we’ll have more information and guidance. If you ever struggle to follow along, feel free to chat with a BalletMet staff member in the lobby who will happily answer any questions you have.
When do I clap?
If you are wowed by something you just saw, please do applaud. At BalletMet, we love to hear clapping. It’s uplifting to those performing, as they can often feel your excitement and energy on stage. So applaud whenever you see fit! Note: Not every ballet company feels this way, so keep that in mind if you happen to be at another company’s performance.
Images by Jennifer Zmuda