Origins of Inspiration: Swan Lake
As unmistakably as we recognize Mona Lisa at first glance, each of us can name that tune at first sound: Dance of the Little Swans by Tchaikovsky, the allegro moderato you cannot confuse with anything else. It is astounding to realize how the story, the choreography, the staging, the characters, and the music can come together in such a harmony of human masterhood.
As the ballerinas tap their points in the second act, you hear the scattering of pearls; a white feather flies off Odile’s skirt as she twirls off her pirouette and the girl herself flies just as lightly as the feather.... White diamond drops flock around the blue sapphire just like the graceful birds embrace the still waters of a lake.
Inspired by a magical performance of Kiev Ballet earlier this month, we invite you to watch this iconic performance of Swan Lake by Maya Plisetskaya. Times will pass but the unsurpassed ballerina will reign as the never-dying swan, the ever-shining gem in the crown of the world’s Human Art.
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