The American Ballet Theatre have made their breathtaking debut on the Australian stage in Swan Lake, exclusive to Brisbane as part of the QPAC International Series. In conjunction with Queensland Tourism and Events, the International Series began with the intention of ‘bringing the world to Brisbane’ and has seen world-class companies such as the Hamburg and Bolshoi Ballets perform exclusive shows at QPAC. The American Ballet Theatre’s performance of Swan Lake on August 29 was also simulcast to seven different regional locations, live from the Lyric Theatre.

Swan Lake has been re-interpreted many times, from the first choreography by Julius Reisinger in 1877 to Matthew Bourne’s all-male adaptation in recent years. Cursed by the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart, the swan queen Odette falls in love with Prince Siegfried, who swears to marry her and break the spell. Siegfried is tricked into declaring his love for another girl, the sorcerer’s daughter Odile, and a distraught Odette throws herself into the lake. Siegfried follows, breaking the spell and uniting the lovers in death.

Artistic director Kevin McKenzie’s interpretation of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov’s classic choreography earned its cast...