The International Network of Swan Lakes

Authors

• Riikka Korppi-Tommola

Keywords:

Joutsenlampi, baletti, Suomen Kansallisooppera, esitystraditio

Abstract

The inheritance of the Swan Lake premieres at the Finnish National Opera leads to Russia and the Soviet
Union. In this article, four Finnish productions and premieres of Swan Lake (1953, 1957, 1966, and 1976)
are examined, as well as their backgrounds and reception. Practices of dance tradition were carried
transnationally by several choreographers. Different Finnish premiere versions of the classic interacted
both with each other and with the international networks of this ballet. This article emphasises the changes
in the style of performance characteristics and shows how strongly the Bolshoi Ballet influenced the
formation process of the Finnish Swan Lake canon.