Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux

One-act ballet to the music of Tchaikovsky’s Act III of Swan Lake

Choreography by George Balanchine

First staged in 1960. This version was first performed in Perm in 2014. Running time: 9 minutes

Tchaikovsky pas de deux is one of the noble bravura ballets that allow dancers to display their virtuosity and talent. Balanchine created this number in 1960 for dancers Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow. The music used in the piece was taken from an excerpt from Swan Lake which was unknown to the general public, discovered accidentally in 1953 in the archives of the Bolshoi Theatre. It was composed thanks to ballerina Anna Sobeshchanskaya who starred in the role of Odile in 1877; she asked the composer for more material for her character in the act at the ball. However, the excerpt was not included in the published score, which, starting with Petipa, was used by choreographers. Having heard of the Bolshoi Theatre’s sensational discovery, George Balanchine sought permission to use the music in his ballet.

The ballet is staged in collaboration with the George Balanchine Foundation in accordance with Balanchine’s style and technique

Age category: 12+