Cape Ballet will bring its large-scale production of Swan Lake to Melbourne in April 2027, as part of a limited Australian tour featuring performances in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne.
The acclaimed company of 60 dancers will perform the classical ballet, combining Tchaikovsky’s celebrated score with elaborate sets, lavish costumes and choreography rooted in the work’s long history.
The production follows Princess Odette, who has been cursed to live as a swan, and Prince Siegfried, whose love offers her a chance at freedom. Its central role requires one ballerina to portray both the vulnerable White Swan and the seductive Black Swan, Odette and Odile.
The staging follows the classical tradition of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, under the direction of Elena Glurjidze, a former lead principal of English National Ballet who trained at the Vaganova Academy in St Petersburg.
She is joined by Diane van Schoor, former Ballet Principal of The Royal Ballet School at White Lodge in London, and Cape Ballet’s Lindy Raizenberg. Sets are designed by Michael Mitchell, with costumes by Marcel Meyer and lighting by Oliver Hauser.
Founded in Cape Town by Debbie Turner, Cape Ballet has expanded its repertoire to include classical works such as Giselle, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. In 2025, company dancer Joshua Williams received the Prix Benois de la Danse for Best Male Dancer.
The Australian tour begins in Perth on 9 April 2027 before travelling to Adelaide and Melbourne. Tickets are on sale now. Find Melbourne performance dates and book tickets at https://swanlake.com.au/.
