Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is one of the most famous ballets of all time, and the dancers at St. Petersburg’s Mikhailovsky Theatre have been working to perfect their routine. Rehearsing under the watchful eye of their repetiteur, or dance instructor, they practice their moves until moments before the curtain rises.
For this rendition they perform a version of a critically lauded 1956 adaptation. Modifications of the original 1877 production have been made since Swan Lake’s inception - the first staging of it was almost universally panned. Over time, directors, conductors and even ballerinas have all added changes, leading to several variations.