State Ballet Theatre of Russia Presents Swan Lake at The Morris 1/22/2012

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia brings the world's most beloved ballet, "Swan Lake," to glorious life for one performance only Sunday, Jan. 22 at 3:00 p.m. at The Morris Performing Arts Center, 211 N. Michigan Street, South Bend, IN 46601. Hailed by the New York Times as "full of enchantment," this company of distinguished dancers has showcased the unparalleled art of Russian ballet to countries throughout the world.

Tickets at $15 - $55 and are available by calling 800-537-6415 or online at www.morriscenter.org.

The classic "Swan Lake" has charmed audiences since its St. Petersburg premiere in 1895 and is considered the embodiment of "Russian Ballet." Set to Tchaikovsky's magnificent score, with choreography by M. Petipa and L. Ivanov, the ballet tells the timeless story of a young prince named Siegfried who falls in love with Odette, a princess who takes human form at night but each morning is turned into a swan by the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart. In this consummate tale of love conquering all, the spell may only be broken if a prince pledges eternal fidelity to her.

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia is the touring company of The Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theatre, which has origins in the 16th century and was re-founded in 1961. This company has toured with productions of traditional Russian classics throughout the world. With a company of 65 dancers, the theater's repertoire includes work by both classical and modern Russian composers, including "Swan Lake," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Cinderella," "The Nutcracker," "Giselle," "Don Quixote," "Le Sylphide," "Scheherazade," "Gavalry Halt," "The Stone Flower," "1001 Nights," "Carmen"-suite, "Cipollino," "Doctor Aubolit," "Francesca di Rimini" and "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai." Its performances are relatively new to U.S. audiences, as the company first graced American stages in 2006. The Director of the Company is Honored Artist of Russia Igor Nepomnyashchy and the Artistic Director of the Ballet is Lyudmila Sycheva.