My First Ballet: Swan Lake
A re-imagined version of Swan Lake made accessible and enjoyable for audiences as young as three years old will stop off at Wimbledon on May 15 and 16.
Adapted to one hour in length and with a narrator to help young audiences follow the story, My First Ballet: Swan Lake is said to be the perfect way to introduce children to the magic of classical ballet.
The evil magician Rothbart has turned the beautiful princess Odette into a swan: only at night can she return to human form. Will Prince Siegfried be able to save her, or will he fall for Rothbart’s sorcery?
Choreographed by George Williamson, English National Ballet’s Associate Artist, and award-winning former student at English National Ballet School, My First Ballet: Swan Lake is part of the My First Ballet series which enters into its fourth year in 2015. Previous productions in the series include My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty (2012), My First Ballet: Cinderella (2013) and My First Ballet: Coppélia (2014).
George Williamson, Associate Artist, said: "I am delighted to be working on the My First Ballet series and proud that English National Ballet and English National Ballet School has led the way in developing these productions for children. This is the fourth ballet in the series and probably the most well-known, with its Tchaikovsky score and famous White and Black Swans it has transfixed thousands of audiences.
"The production is tailor made for a first time ballet goer and new choreography, narration and a shortened run time mean our young audience discover all the wonderful things about going to the ballet and the magic of Swan Lake. I hope that everyone comes away from the production entertained but most importantly with a new understanding of how ballet can tell a story."
The My First Ballet series is performed by second year students of English National Ballet School, which was founded in 1988 by English National Ballet.
April 30, 2015