The Jalisco Ballet Company has performed El Lago de Los Cisnes (Swan Lake) every year for the last three years and we were fortunate to be able to attend this year’s performance. This production is unique because the ballet is performed on a lake.

There is a small lake in Parque Metropolitano and the stage and set were built on the lake close to the shoreline. Seating, music, and lighting were installed onshore. The lake and park backdrop made the production unusual and special.

The famous Tchaikovsky score was performed and recorded by the Jalisco Symphony. Large speakers were strategically placed on the stage and in the seating area. The audience sat in bleachers erected on the lakeshore and every seat had a perfect view.

It was still daylight when we arrived at the park and because there were no signs we wandered for a while looking for the lake. The performance was to begin at 8 p.m., but as customary in Mexico and Latin America, it didn’t start until after 8:30. While waiting, we saw plenty of ducks on the lake but no swans.

Swan Lake

The ballet, inspired by the original work of Marius Petipa, with music by Tchaikovsky, is a classic ballet based on a Germanic fairy tale in which young girls are turned into swans who recover their human forms at night. Prince Siegfried, who is looking for a bride, leaves the castle to go hunting with his friends and meets Princess Odette to whom he makes a promise of love to undo this spell.

The performance begins with the wicked sorcerer casting a spell on Princess Odette, turning her into a swan. The scene takes place at the edge of the lake and after the spell, a swan glided silently over the water to the stage.

In another scene, Prince Siegfried arrives in the forest. A boat takes him to the stage and soon afterward, he sees Princes Odette and the other swans.

Despite the challenges of the unique setting and the large cast, the performance moved smoothly without any delays. Dancers moved on and off the stage seamlessly. Scene changes consisted of various projections on the backdrop.

In the final act, the prince and princess become swans so that they can be together forever, and we see two swans glide off into the distance. The final act was followed by fireworks to cap off the production.

 

The performance lasted 90 minutes and the music, dancing, lighting and the natural environment of the park made this classic ballet performance magical.