Photo by Aaron M. Conway.
CINCINNATI, OH. (January 21, 2020) — Cursed by an evil sorcerer, the beautiful princess Odette spends her days as a swan and her nights in human form. Only true love can break the spell, but an evil imposter is out to steal her prince and their happy ending. Experience what may be the most recognizable ballet of all time at Cincinnati Music Hall Thursday, February 13 to Sunday, February 16. With Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s spectacular score performed by Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and choreography by Kirk Peterson, it’s a classic love story that can’t be missed. The ballet is also a tour-de-force experience for the dancer playing the dual role of Odette/Odile, the white swan and the black swan, her evil nemesis. On stage for much of the ballet, the dancer is required to perform a head-spinning 32 turns in a row as Black Swan.
Photo by Aaron M. Conway.
Cincinnati Ballet also got creative with this production and decided to put our ‘swans’ in Mirror Lake at Eden Park. As our production is in the middle of winter, we planned the photo shoot during the summer. On a sweltering day in August, our dancers, videographer, production and wardrobe staff, and Artistic Director Victoria Morgan spent several hours creating some unbelievable photos in Mirror Lake. Clever photographer Aaron M. Conway didn’t just want our ‘swans’ in the water, he also wanted them en pointe ON the water! So how do you make dancers walk on water? Conway and his team brought along cinder blocks for the dancers to balance on. Principal dancers Sirui Liu and Melissa Gelfin took turns balancing on the blocks. What you may not know — pointe shoes are made of densely packed layers of fabric, cardboard, and sometimes paper hardened by glue, when immersed in water they quickly disintegrate. Each dancer, supported by staff, had seconds to create an indelible pose while balanced on the stacked cinder blocks. Bravo! What we ended up with are truly magical photos.
Photo by Aaron M. Conway.
Cincinnati Ballet would also like to thank the City of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Parks for all their help in the creation of these images.
WHO: Cincinnati Ballet
WHAT: Swan Lake
WHEN: February 13 – 7:30 pm
February 14 – 8:00 pm
February 15 – 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm
February 16 – 1:00 pm
WHERE: Music Hall
1241 Elm St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
TICKETS: Call 513.621.5282, visit cballet.org or visit the Cincinnati Ballet Box Office at 1555 Central Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45214
Tickets start at $29
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About Cincinnati Ballet
Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Under the artistic direction of Victoria Morgan, Cincinnati Ballet has become a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world premiere works and exploring unique collaborations with artists as diverse as Grammy winning guitarist Peter Frampton and popular, Ohio-based band Over the Rhine. With a mission to inspire hope and joy in our community and beyond through the power and passion of dance, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, extensive education outreach programs and offers top level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy.
CONNECT: READ / WATCH / LISTEN / LEARN / ENJOY at cballet.org
Cincinnati Ballet 2019-2020 Season Sponsors: Rhonda & Larry A. Sheakley, ArtsWave, Mercy Health, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council, John A. Schroth Family Charitable Trust, Frisch’s Big Boy, Knowlton
