Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - For the first time in Vietnam, Tchaikovsky's classic Swan Lake ballet will be performed by young amateur dancers at Dai Nam Theatre on July 27.

Swan Lake is among the most popular ballets in the world since it premiered in 1877 in a performance by the Imperial Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. In 2015, it was performed in full for the first time in this country by artists from the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet.

Almost all of the 65 amateur dancers are children, who will perform a 45-minute version of the ballet.

The original version is a story of love, betrayal and sacrifice. But in this version, the audience will not see the main character of the Prince, according to Tran Thu Huong, the show's theatre director.

"We want to highlight the strength of unity, and show that good always wins over evil," Huong said. "The strength of a flock of swans can defeat the evil sorcerer and the black swan to gain peace.

"We keep the meaning of the story, but reinterpret it in our own way."

Huong is a former ballerina from the Vietnam Theatre of Contemporary Art. She received a Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences at Moscow State Art and Culture University.

Two leading roles, the white and the black swans, will be danced by pre-teens Phuong Ha and Minh Minh. They have learnt ballet for several years as a hobby. Last month, Phuong Ha placed third at the International Competition of Classical and Contemporary Dance Performers with Maria Taglioni's Le Papillon (The Butterfly) in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The ballet will still perform the iconic Dance of The Little Swans and Dance of The Big Swans. Eight dancers led by artist To Nhat Huy will take the stage in the Dance of The Little Swans, making the ballet unique.

Huy is a circus artist and magician who currently teaches at the Vietnam Circus and Variety Training School. He won the gold medal at the fourth National Magic Festival in 2023.

Khanh Vy, Cam Anh and My An will perform the Dance of The Big Swans, in which powerful little ballerinas so🌃ar through the air, creating a stunning display of strength, stamina and grace./.