Swanlake in Cologne

If you'd like an introduction to ballet, then Swanlake is probably the best ballet for a first timer.  Set to the beautiful music of Tschaikowsky, Swanlake is a typical fairytale of love, loss and betrayal.  Performed by the renowned St. Petersburg State Ballet the female lead - Odette/Odile is one of the most difficult ballerina roles in the classical opus. The tragic Swan Princess is deceived by her lover, Siegfried and her wicked doppelganger, Odile, is then malevolently conjured up to deceive her Prince and destroy Odette. You'll be moved to tears by the rapture of Odette's magical metamorphosis from bird to woman and her love duet with Siegfried, one of the most perfect sequences of classical ballet. The St. Petersburg State Ballet know what corps de ballet work means. It is not just synchronisation, it is more about devotion to a shared schooling and culture, plus a deep respect for what you are doing. The company as a whole has an irresistible likeability factor impossible to ignore and a welcome antidote for all of us to a gloomy Cologne winter.

11th and 25th January
"Swanlake" (Schwanensee)
Musical Dome Cologne
Goldgasse 1, 50668 Cologne
www.musical-dome.de