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Relaxed Performance Fact Sheet
This fact sheet has key information about Swan Lake, the performance and theatre that you may find useful and that may help you to fully enjoy your afternoon with us.
Key Information
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Address: 145 Queen St. West, Toronto, ON M5H 4G1
Performance Length: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Intermission: There will not be an intermission for this performance.
Venue Guide national.ballet.ca/venueguide
Website national.ballet.ca/productions/swan-lake/
Swan Lake trailer: youtu.be/CSVoCaxYGmI?si=9i3mSY4kXlzNjtd1
General Things to Know
• There is a parking lot underneath the theatre. It costs $25, but please come prepared to pay more if necessary.
• The parking machine takes credit cards only.
• There are many other places to park within walking distance of the theatre.
• If you are taking the subway, there is an underground entrance to the Four Seasons Centre at Osgoode station with stairs and an accessible entrance via the elevator.
• If you need to pick up your tickets, the Box Office will open at 12:00 pm.
• The doors to the Four Seasons Centre will open at 12:45 pm.
• You will need your ticket to enter the lobby.
• The concession will be open pre-performance and during the performance.
• The auditorium will open at 1:00 pm. At this time, the ushers will open the doors and let people know they can go in and find their seat(s).
• There will be overhead announcements while you wait in the lobby. Please be prepared for these.
• The seating is assigned/ticketed seating. That means that your seat is assigned to you and its location is printed on your ticket.
• An usher can direct you to your seat(s).
• There are a limited number of booster seats available. Please ask an usher if you need one.
• The Four Seasons Centre has many floors – the street level (Main Floor Lobby) has the lobby, concession, boutique and orchestra level seating; downstairs (Lower Level Lobby) are the washrooms and coat check and upstairs (the Grand Ring, Rings 3 and 4) are the boxes/balcony seating areas, the Quiet Room and a gender neutral/accessible washroom (please note the accessible washroom does not have a button, so someone may need to open the door for people using this space) and washroom stalls.
• There are stairs and elevators to help you get from floor to floor.
• A live Orchestra will play music for the performance from the orchestra pit in front of the stage. Please stay back from the orchestra pit.
• When you enter the auditorium, the orchestra will be warming up. This may sound loud.
• The lights in the auditorium will be left on at a low level during the performance.
• A Quiet Room has been set up on the Grand Ring floor. Ushers can take you there at any time, if needed.
• There is a host for this performance. The host will introduce the ballet and share information about Swan Lake before the ballet begins.
• There will be an ASL Interpreter on stage while the host speaks.
• There is a page on The National Ballet of Canada’s website for Swan Lake. This page has a lot of information about the story and can help us to follow what is happening on stage. You can access the page here.
About Swan Lake
One night in a faraway kingdom, Odette joins her friends by the lake, unaware she has entered the lair of an evil predator, Rothbart. Part man and part bird, Rothbart casts a spell enslaving Odette to live by day as a swan. Only a pledge of true love and fidelity will set her free. When the kingdom’s eligible royal, Siegfried, falls in love with Odette, Rothbart conjures a trick to keep them apart – Odile, a ravishing imitation of Odette.
About the Performance
You will be seeing the Prologue, Acts 1 and 2 of the ballet Swan Lake.
This is a live performance on stage. It is performed by dancers right in front of you! It has dancers, music and a set.
What is a set?
A set is the background behind and around the dancers. It is also the furniture that the dancers sit, stand or dance on throughout the ballet. Sets help us to know where and when the ballet takes place.
When you enter the auditorium to take your seat the Orchestra will be in the “orchestra pit” warming up.
When the performance is about to begin, host Lisa Robinson will introduce the performance and the Orchestra and give some information about the ballet.
Ballet tells a story through dance. This is the story of Swan Lake.
The choreographers for this ballet are Karen Kain, Christopher Stowell and Robert Binet.
The music for Swan Lake was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The costumes and the sets were designed by Gabriela Týlešová.
If the music is too loud you can cover your ears with your hands or use sound-dampening headphones.
* Although there is a villain in the ballet who captures and tricks many of the other characters, this is just a story the dancers are telling. None of what is happening is real; no one is captured and no one is hurt. You are safe in the theatre, even when the lights are dark. The dancers and the music are telling us a story and when we leave the theatre, we will go back to our regular lives, and so will the dancers and musicians.
Here are some things about the performance you may find interesting or want to watch/listen for:
• You will see the first parts of the ballet, which show the start of the story.
• Sometimes audience members clap when the Orchestra begins to play. If the clapping is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or use sound-dampening headphones.
• Music begins.
• A dancer dances on stage as the lights come up a little.
• This is Odette.
• There is very little light for the first part of the dancing (this is the Prologue).
• Other dancers join Odette on stage.
• The music gets quicker.
• Rothbart (part man, part bird) sees the women at the lake.
• Rothbart captures Odette.
• Rothbart curses Odette.
• The lights go out (it will be dark on stage, but lights will remain on over the audience) and the music continues to play.
• This is the end of the Prologue.
• Often the audience will clap after the dancers have finished dancing (even though the ballet is still going on). If the clapping is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or use sound-dampening headphones.
• The music changes and becomes more upbeat.
• Act 1 begins.
• The curtains open.
• The lights come up.
• There are not a lot of changes in the lighting.
• Many dancers are on stage.
• The set lets us know that the dancers are in a royal courtyard. There are large gates, benches and trees in the set.
• Some of the dancers have garlands.
• Some dancers chat and greet each other.
• They are preparing a surprise party for Siegfried.
• Most of the dancers hide to surprise Siegfried.
• Siegfried enters with his tutor.
• The tutor wears a tall hat.
• A tutor is like a teacher.
• Siegfried wears a purple jacket.
• The party guests dance onto the stage, surprising Siegfried.
• Can you count how many times the women spin when they dance?
• Sometimes everyone dances and at other times only one, two or three people dance.
• A man dances alone. This is called a solo.
• When two people dance together in ballet it is called a pas de deux.
• Two ballerinas in lacy, fluffy dresses join the man in his dance.
• The music is upbeat and joyful.
• Have you noticed that sometimes the ballerinas look like they are dancing on their tiptoes? This is called “en pointe” and their shoes help them to do this, but it still takes many years of training to learn how to dance like this.
• Cymbals crash in the music. If the music is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or use sound-dampening headphones.
• Three male dancers dance across the stage, leaping as they go!
• The music gets louder. If the music is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or use sound-dampening headphones.
• Many other dancers join in the celebration.
• The music gets softer and slower for a short time before getting louder and faster again.
• The party guests surround Siegfried.
• Siegfried takes off his purple jacket. He wears a gold (yellow) waistcoat (vest) underneath it.
• Siegfried dances.
• The other dancers watch before joining Siegfried.
• Cymbals crash in the music.
• Siegfried receives a gift.
• A hunting party arrives back in the courtyard.
• Siegfried’s mother, the Queen, arrives with the hunting party.
• The Queen wears a large, feathered hat and a purple coat.
• The Queen gives Siegfried a gift.
• The gift is a crossbow.
• The Queen reminds Siegfried that he must find a wife.
• Siegfried is sad because he does not want to take on the duties of an adult in the royal family yet.
• The Queen and Siegfried sit as the guests dance.
• When the guests are dancing, the music becomes louder and more exciting.
• A moon appears on the back wall of the set. The moon is a lighting/video projection.
• The Queen leaves.
• The back wall begins to change colour. It is now blue. This means it is now evening/night.
• The guests raise their glasses and dance again.
• Siegfried dances with the guests.
• The music gets a little louder and faster.
• The guests continue to dance.
• The music gets softer and quieter.
• It is a little darker on stage.
• The music gets a little louder and faster. If the music is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or use sound-dampening headphones.
• The hunting party leaves.
• The party guests leave.
• The music changes – it is no longer party music.
• It is darker on stage.
• Siegfried dances alone.
• Siegfried and the tutor are together.
• The music changes. The part that plays is perhaps the most famous piece of music from this ballet. Have you heard it before?
• The tutor gives Siegfried his crossbow and then leaves.
• The music gets heavy here.
• The lights on stage are very dark. The moon and all of the set disappear.
• Fog appears on stage.
• The moon reappears. It is now bigger. It is a projection on the back wall of the set.
• Siegfried leaves the stage.
• If you look closely, you will see the large gate “fly” upwards and off the stage. It creates a shadow on the moon.
• This is the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2.
• Rothbart appears on stage briefly.
• Projections of swans flying in front of the moon appear on the back wall of the set.
• Siegfried arrives at the lake with his crossbow.
• Rothbart and the swans enter.
• Odette is left on stage alone.
• Odette wears a white costume with a large, featherlike tutu and a glistening tiara.
• Siegfried and Odette meet.
• Odette is frightened by Siegfried’s crossbow.
• Siegfried and Odette dance.
• Rothbart enters.
• The music becomes heavier, faster and louder. If the music is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or use sound-dampening headphones.
• Rothbart sees that Odette and Siegfried are falling in love with each other.
• Rothbart gets jealous and tries to keep Siegfried and Odette apart.
• Rothbart succeeds – Odette leaves.
• Siegfried leaves the opposite way to Odette.
• The swans enter and dance.
• Rothbart leaves.
• Can you count how many swans are dancing on stage?
• Siegfried returns, looking for Odette.
• More swans enter, bringing Odette with them.
• Odette and some of the swans leave.
• Siegfried follows them.
• The swans dance.
• Siegfried enters.
• Odette enters.
• Siegfried and Odette dance.
• The music is soft and light.
• Look how high Siegfried lifts Odette as they dance!
• Most of the swans leave.
• Odette leaves.
• Siegfried leaves.
• Four swans remain on stage and dance.
• The music gets a little faster.
• Odette enters with more swans.
• Odette and the swans dance.
• Siegfried enters and watches Odette and the swans.
• Siegfried and Odette begin to dance.
• Rothbart enters and sees Siegfried with Odette.
• Rothbart tries to separate Odette and Siegfried.
• The lights on stage get darker.
• Rothbart holds Odette back from Siegfried.
• The lights go down completely.
• The curtain comes down.
• This is the end of the performance.
• The audience may clap at the end. If it is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or use sound-dampening headphones.
• The curtain comes back up and the lights get bright on stage. This is the curtain call (bows).
• The curtain call is a chance for the audience to show the dancers and the Orchestra how much they enjoyed the ballet. You can clap, say “bravo”, and even stand up from your seat as the dancers bow. If it is too loud, you can cover your ears with your hands or use sound-dampening headphones.
• There are many dancers in the ballet and the curtain call may take a few minutes for them to bow for you.
• After the bows are over, the curtain will go down and stay down and the lights will come up in the auditorium.
• Now it is time to leave the auditorium.
Credits
2024/25 Season Sponsor presents Swan Lake
This fact sheet was prepared by Rachel Marks.
Lead philanthropic support for Swan Lake is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund, with generous underwriting from Richard M. Ivey, C.C., an anonymous friend of the National Ballet, Susan Scace & Arthur Scace, C.M., K.C., Pamela and Paul Austin and The P. Austin Family Foundation, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Nancy Pencer, Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Gretchen Ross & Donald Ross, O.C., Anne-Marie Canning, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Tim & Frances Price, The Volunteer Committee of The National Ballet of Canada and Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M. Additional support provided by The Producers’ Circle.
The National Ballet of Canada’s Accessibility Initiatives are made possible thanks to lead philanthropic support by Valerie & Hunter Thompson, Ruth Watts-Gransden, The McLean Foundation, The Lawrence Schafer Foundation and The Anna McCowan-Johnson Dance Accessibility Fund.
The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage with the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage; and the Government of Ontario with the Honourable Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.
Page 1: Former Principal Dancer Jurgita Dronina and Harrison James.
Page 10: Former Principal Dancer Jurgita Dronina and Harrison James with Artists of the Ballet. Photos by Karolina Kuras.