Free: Swan Lake by Australian Ballet, 25 June to 9 July

Photo courtesy of Michael Afonso

Ballet transports you to places, sometimes faraway and magical lands. It makes you let go of your anxieties and experience the thrill and liberation of every leap and lift. Since its invention in Italian Renaissance courts from the 15th century to today, ballet as an art form has offered an escape from the troubles of life.

To help Australians cope with the COVID-19 isolation, the Australian Ballet is offering free online access to high-definition videos of their full-length performances. Each production is released on Thursdays from 5pm AEST and available for two weeks. Click on this link to enjoy each production – https://australianballet.com.au/the-ballets/digit al-season. Regrettably, there is no access for our international readers.

Swan Lake is is a timeless love story that mixes magic, tragedy and romance into four acts. It features Prince Siegfried and a lovely swan princess named Odette. Under the spell of a sorcerer, Odette appears in the day as a swan swimming on a lake of tears and spends her nights in her beautiful human form. It is up to Prince Siegried to free her from the spell.

Swan Lake is held as the gold standard of classical ballets. It is one of the most sophisticated and challenging classical ballets in the repertoire. Its music, composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was way ahead of its time, with many of Swan Lake's early performers claiming it was too difficult to dance to. The popularity of Swan Lake ensure that it will continue to be adapted and performed in countless productions for years to come.

The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia, inspiring and delighting audiences since 1962. It is also the nation’s premiere dance company, presenting performances each year in capital cities, regional centres and schools around the country.