Swan Lake – Moscow Ballet La Classique

The History of Swan Lake

The first Moscow production of Swan Lake was unsuccessful. Its true legacy began nearly 20 years later in St. Petersburg. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the ballet at the request of the Bolshoi Theatre and was paid a then-substantial fee of 800 rubles.

The ballet found new life thanks to choreographers Marius Petipa and his assistant Lev Ivanov, who are now credited with shaping its iconic form. Ivanov’s legendary “white scenes” were first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre during a memorial evening for the late composer. A year later, in 1895, the full ballet was staged—with Petipa choreographing Acts I and III, and Ivanov handling Acts II and IV.

Most subsequent productions have built upon these defining elements: Ivanov’s lyrical “swan” scenes and Petipa’s dramatic “black” pas de deux. Over time, Petipa also revised the libretto, giving it greater clarity and coherence.

However, Tchaikovsky’s emotionally rich score has consistently inspired choreographers to reinterpret the work—often seeking narratives more dramatic than the original fairy tale envisioned by Petipa.

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