Swan Lake by Valery Kovtun after Petipa, music by Tchaikovsky

Of the many beloved classical ballets in the repertoire, Swan Lake may be the most iconic of all, performed perhaps more than any other for a greater number of dazzled spectators all over the world since its first staging in 1877. The “classic” version by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, first performed in 1894, laid the foundations for all subsequent productions, most notably that of the great Rudolf Nureyev. Valery Kovtun’s version, presented by the storied Ballet of the National Opera of Ukraine—world-renowned representatives of one of the grandest balletic traditions—remains true to the spirit of the original, guaranteeing emotion and enchantment amid the sounds of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece, one of the most lush and beautiful scores ever written.