We sat down with Louise Halliday who is Director of Audiences at the Royal Albert Hall and has also danced for the English National Ballet, to find out more about Swan Lake and why it has captivated audiences globally for decades.
When did Derek Deane’s acclaimed production of Swan Lake first come to the Royal Albert Hall?
We premiered the production on 3 June 1997 and it’s since been performed around the world, but nowhere more than the Royal Albert Hall.
Why do you think Swan Lake has captivated audiences for all of these years?
Swan Lake has eternal themes of love and loss, good and evil, betrayal and forgiveness – on the surface it’s a ridiculous story about a man falling in love with a swan, but really it’s about humanity. And of course the glorious score, played by 72 musicians on a platform above the stage and underneath the organ.
Tell us something about the production that’s not commonly known.
Everything is scaled up – lots of people know that there are 60 swans rather than the usual 24, but there are also 8 cygnets instead of 4, and the ‘pas de trois’ is danced by 12 dancers.
What to you, is the most spectacular moment of the performance?
There are two – the first entrance of the 60 swans is breathtaking, but the final moments make the hairs on my forearms stand on end. I showed a group of people the video of the ending the other day and I nearly cried!
Apart from Swan Lake, what’s been your favourite moment or performance at the Hall?
Before the premiere of Swan Lake Princess Diana (who was our patron) came to see the dress rehearsal – the press who were there asked for an impromptu photo and 16 of us swans gathered around her and took this shot (below) which then made the front page of newspapers around the world. She was such a great supporter of English National Ballet – our studios were across the park from Kensington Palace and she used to pop in when we were rehearsing. Diana was the guest of honour at the premiere (below) wearing the famous dress created by French designer Jacques Azagury.
