Brilliant British choreographer Matthew Bourne turns tradition upside down with a new spin on "Swan Lake," resetting Tchaikovsky's classic in a fantasy 1950s London and a court of libidinous Royals, and replacing the traditional female corps of leggy, tutued swans with a menacing flock of bare-chested males. GREAT PERFORMANCES presents the ballet that is set for Broadway in September 1998 and has already played to sold-out houses in London and Los Angeles. 

GREAT PERFORMANCES on the Web hails this feather-ruffling "Swan Lake" with a look at the ballet's history, its composer, and its startling new incarnation. In Behind the Scenes, writer John Ardoin traces Tchaikovsky's ballet from its initial failure to its current status as a beloved classic. In Meet the Artists, Ardoin reveals the neurotic, self-absorbed man behind the artist who would endure as Russia's most popular composer, and biographies give background on the lead dancers in Bourne's "Swan Lake." A Look at the Work highlights the originality of Bourne's production while declaring its continuity with the classic "Swan Lake." Our Resources section provides a guide for further online research.