It is challenging to describe the magnitude of this ballet and its lasting influence without veering into what might seem like hyperbole; but the impact cannot be understated. Twisting the story of Swan Lake and forbidden love from its traditional arch, and refocusing it on male homosexual love, it gender bends the majority of the story and casting. Most notably, it is the swans, performed entirely by male dancers, that are pure magic. Unlike female swan choreography, the male dancers are strong and aggressive, in the way swans are — and the choreography mimics this. The sheer strength and endurance to perform the choreography, and with Tchaikovsky’s score performed at a breakneck pace, the story races along in a delightful manner.
The two dancers performing The Prince and The Swan/Stranger were incredible, the agony of their forbidden love palpable to the highest reaches of the Sadlers Wells, and they are supported by an incredible company. There was not a single weak link or weak moment, and the ballet’s language reads as just as modern today as it would have decades ago at its premiere.