Nashville Ballet Revives ‘Swan Lake’ for the First Time Since 2018

To welcome the second half of its 40th season, the Nashville Ballet is bringing back Paul Vasterling’s version of the indelible Swan Lake for the first time since 2018. The refreshed production will run from Feb. 27 to March 1 — and several company dancers will make their Swan Lake debuts in principal roles. “You [will] get to watch eight years of an organization’s maturity on display,” says Nick Mullikin, Nashville Ballet’s artistic director and CEO. 

Paul’s Swan Lake follows Princess Odette, who is transformed into a swan by a devious sorcerer. Naturally, the curse can only be broken by true love — a remedy that leads Odette through a surreal maze of romance and deception. “I think [what’s] really fascinating [about] Swan Lake, in particular, is to see the story of betrayal that unfolds inside of it,” says Nick.

Youthful Energy

Nashville Ballet leaders curate each season with careful consideration, drawing from a library of classical shows. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Nick evaluated the company’s standing to ensure it had enough talent to support each production and meet the technical and emotional demands of the source material. 

After eight years of growth, Nick and his team made the call — they were finally ready to revisit Swan Lake. “This year, we have some of the strongest artists we’ve ever had,” he says. “I really wanted to make sure we were able to utilize that talent so our audience can engage with the art form in the way I think it was intended.”

Nick plans to have two casts present the story. “A character is told through the lens of the artist portraying it,” he says. “Everybody’s going to tell it differently, even if the steps are the same, [and] even if this idea of love conquering all and defeating evil comes back into the same storyline.” The principal role debuts (which hadn’t been solidified at the time of writing) are expected to bring fresh “youthful energy” to the stage. 

Timeless Themes

Despite the ballet originating in the late 1870s, Nick attests that its themes and lessons hold up to this day — namely, the unpredictable and often life-altering nature of falling in love. 

“We sometimes have preconceived notions about how life is supposed to turn out,” he says. “What Swan Lake is really great about is [flipping] that concept on its head in just a moment when our character falls in love.”

Swan Lake’s ending varies depending on the production, but it often culminates in Odette’s death. In contrast, Nashville Ballet’s version will have a happy finale, and Nick hopes this will make the show a vessel for children to learn about ballet. 

In the midst of organizing countless moving pieces, Nick is most excited about the moments onstage when all the elements come together. He expects that Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s iconic and haunting score will have an even stronger impact, thanks to the corps de ballet’s close-knit dynamic and the Nashville Symphony’s prowess. “It’s the power of the unit moving together as one entity, combined with the overwhelming and overpowering score,” he says. 

Crucial Support

The 37th annual Ballet Ball — co-chaired by Lisa Manning, Julie Schneider and Neil Krugman — will further immerse guests in the world of Swan Lake on March 7. “I believe they want to take this concept of Swan Lake and go beyond swans alone, diving into the lake and bringing that concept to life,” says Nick. 

He suggests that diving into the lake yourself — becoming an active audience member — is one of the best ways to support the ballet. “Attending the performances helps us as an organization drive the art form forward,” Nick says. “It allows us to take bigger risks. And this particular production [of Swan Lake] helps bring as many people in as possible and gives them first-time exposure to ballet.” 

As Nashville Ballet dancers have united in performance over 40 seasons, so has Nashville’s community, uplifting the company’s high-quality programming and helping it remain accessible. “At the end of the ballet, the swans work together to help change the outcome of the story,” says Nick. “That, for me, really spoke to the power of the unit. If we as a society or community want to make change, then we all have to work together.”