English National Ballet's Swan Lake

Derek Deane's critically acclaimed production of Swan Lake caused a sensation at its premiere in 1997 and has since been enjoyed by over 350,000 people, captivating audiences worldwide.

You can now experience the beauty and intimacy of this unrivalled spectacle as the Royal Albert Hall is transformed into a magical lake for this spectacular fully staged 'in the round' production. From the lakeside seats to the top of the Hall, witness English National Ballet's magnificent company of over 120 performers. Tchaikovsky's wonderful score features some of the most beautiful music in the classical ballet repertoire. With a dramatic story line and spectacular sets and costumes, this romantic ballet will entertain and captivate you.

"The question is not whether English National Ballet's Swan Lake succeeds as a conventional production (which is obviously impossible) but whether it works for the venue and audience for which it was designed (which it does)... Derek Deane's choreography is certainly most successful when he is handling large ensembles, which he does with most style and skill in the white acts. The house grew dark, the stage glowed with Patrick Woodroffe's ghostly blue light, the floor was eerily carpeted with dry ice, and gradually the stage filled with a monstrous regiment of wildfowl... The result was rather magnificent." The Indepedent

"No one can argue that this is not fun. The unboxed expanse of the Albert Hall's floor is exhilaratingly huge, and Derek Deane has found plenty of ways to fill it... To get around the circular staging, Dean has added dozens of new turning steps to the original choreography - the dancers revolve so much it makes you giddy. He has also duplicated - so that a pas de trois becomes a dance for 12, each trio facing in different directions. Unfortunately, so many problems remain with the format that you wonder why Deane bothered to be so ingenious. Without a proscenium arch, the dance lacks focus... By going for scale and spectacle, Deane may have staged the biggest Swan Lake ever. But this surprisingly dull production tells its audience far less about the poetry of the ballet than about the marketing strategies of the English National Ballet." The Guardian

"Size is what this arena production is all about. Derek Deane has restaged Tchaikovsky's classic in the round to take advantage of the hall's cavernous space. So where once we had a pas de trois, now we have a pas de douze; where once we had four Cygnets, now we have eight. Everywhere variations have been expanded... Deane proves rather adept at handling so large a cast. He designs big patterns for the ensemble, moving the corps de ballet in and out of the centre in attractive diagonals, repeating sequences from different angles, and generally multiplying movements wherever he can. But Deane has also been seduced by the numbers game. It may be exciting to boast of Britain's largest Swan Lake, but size isn't everything. Serious artistic compromises have been made... But even more seriously, the intimacy of Swan Lake is swamped." The Times

English National Ballet's Swan Lake in London at the Royal Albert Hall from 9 to 19 June 2010