![lunacy swans lunacy swans](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mSnZ3UI2Dzs/UFGBW2yqgGI/AAAAAAAAj4k/T7Zxo0ke_FQ/s1600/swans+angry+blue+poster++3.jpg)
The prince flees to the swan lake to beg Odette’s forgiveness. Of course Rothbart informs Siegfried too late that he just pledged himself to the wrong girl. This imposter is none other than Rothbart’s daughter, Odile, “the black swan.” She’s been magically enchanted to resemble Siegfried’s love in every way, and they dance the night away until Siegfried announces their engagement and proclaims his love. This ability is almost always integrated into his costume.Īt the ball, a woman arrives who looks exactly like Odette dressed all in black. Rothbart’s powers of turning humans into birds allow him to change himself into an owl. Odette is thrilled and agrees to come, but unbeknownst to the young couple, Rothbart has heard everything and is already plotting their undoing. There he will choose her as his bride and break the spell, killing two birds with one stone (pardon the pun). Siegfried immediately assures Odette that he loves her and invites her to attend the ball tomorrow night. Regardless of why the spell is in place, Odette’s curse can only be broken if a man who has never loved before pledges pure and lifelong love to her.
![lunacy swans lunacy swans](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d1579aa29167b0f123a4b22e47fdfe30/tumblr_mvjzg1qVOJ1s2svmio1_640.jpg)
Odette is one of the most coveted and demanding roles in all of ballet and requires an extremely talented prima ballerina.
![lunacy swans lunacy swans](https://kevinhesterdotlive.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/black-swan-courtesy-of-william-bibb.jpg)
The reason for this enchantment isn’t explained in the ballet, but most adaptations assume Rothbart kidnapped Odette to force her to marry him and her curse is a ploy to prevent her from meeting other men. She is cursed to transform into a swan by day and only return to human form at night. Siegfried and Odette are instantly drawn to each other, and he learns that she’s under the power of an evil sorcerer, Baron Von Rothbart. When the moon rises, the swans transform into young maidens, and the swan with the crown changes into a princess named Odette. Off-stage adaptations don’t always include Odette’s court of ladies, also cursed to become swans each day alongside their princess. He comes across a flock of swans in the water, the most beautiful of which is wearing a crown. Dismayed by these expectations, Siegfried takes his horse to go hunting by the lake. Once upon a time, young Prince Siegfried turns 21, and the queen mother decides to throw a ball where he must choose a bride. But both adaptations carry the main story elements of the original tale. I’m also a fan of The Swan Princess (1994), which departs much further from the ballet than the anime version. And of course it uses Tchaikovsky’s original score. It honors most of the original plot points while also filling in the gaps with lighthearted, child-friendly action. Do not mention Pam Dawber in my presence.) This adaptation is delightfully cheesy, but it’s also a fantastic rendition of Swan Lake. (There are two different English dubs of his movie, and I’m a die-hard for the Nancy Link version. Actually my first exposure was the Japanese anime version of Swan Lake (1981). I was a very small child when I first learned the story behind this haunting music. If you’ve never heard it before, please take a moment to appreciate how breathtaking it is: Both of my parents are classical music buffs, so this score has been in my life as long as I can remember. I’m proud to say that my first intro to Swan Lake was the music of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Now if your first reaction to that is “That isn’t a fairy tale! That’s a ballet.” Good on you for knowing that! But this story does indeed have fairy tale roots, and beautiful roots at that. Who doesn’t?īut if I had to pick my hands-down #1 favorite fairy tale, I would pick Swan Lake. I have a soft spot for tales like Rapunzel, Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Cinderella too.
![lunacy swans lunacy swans](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ee/38/97/ee3897bce6d216a76ea88624da5c3cc8.jpg)
Or maybe Beauty and the Beast based on my extreme love for the Disney movie. When I was a kid, I probably would have said Puss in Boots based on my extreme obsession with cats. When I first started writing about fairy tales, I realized I wasn’t completely sure which story is my favorite.