The story
Swan Lake, act by act
The story of Swan Lake in four acts, who Odette, Odile and Rothbart are, how the ending changes between productions and how to follow a highlights show.
Book Swan Lake in Prague ↗Quick answer
Swan Lake follows Prince Siegfried, who falls in love with Odette, a princess cursed to be a swan by day. At a ball he is tricked into promising himself to Rothbart's daughter Odile, who looks like Odette, and the betrayal costs them both. A highlights show selects scenes from these four acts, so knowing the story first makes every scene easy to place.
How the story is divided
Wikipedia says Swan Lake is generally presented in either four acts or, mainly in Russia and Eastern Europe, three acts and four scenes, and that some productions add a prologue showing how Odette meets Rothbart. The booking page for the Prague evening says the whole story is told in a selection of scenes. This guide uses the four-act layout, so that you can place whatever scenes you see.
Act one: a birthday in the park
Prince Siegfried is celebrating his birthday with his tutor, his friends and the villagers when his mother arrives. Wikipedia says she is concerned about his carefree lifestyle and tells him he must choose a bride at the royal ball the next evening. He is upset that he cannot marry for love. As evening falls, his friend Benno sees a flock of swans overhead, and the friends take their crossbows and go hunting.
Act two: the lake
Siegfried is separated from his friends and reaches a lakeside clearing as the swans land. One of them becomes a young woman, Odette. She explains that an owl-like sorcerer, Rothbart, has cursed her and her companions, so that they are swans by day and return to human form only at night by the lake. The spell can be broken only if someone who has never loved before swears to love her for ever. Siegfried breaks his crossbow and wins her trust, but dawn pulls her back into swan form.
Act three: the ball
At the palace, guests arrive for a costume ball and six princesses are presented to Siegfried as candidates for marriage. Rothbart arrives in disguise with his daughter Odile, whom he has made to look like Odette. Siegfried has eyes only for her. Odette appears at the window to warn him, but he does not see her. He declares that he will marry Odile, and Rothbart then shows him a vision of Odette. Realising his mistake, Siegfried hurries back to the lake.
Act four: the lakeside again
Odette is distraught, and the swan maidens try to comfort her. Siegfried returns and apologises with passion, and she forgives him, but his betrayal cannot be undone. Wikipedia says that in the 1895 version she chooses to die rather than remain a swan, and he chooses to die with her. Their sacrifice breaks Rothbart's hold over the swan maidens, and the couple are shown ascending together in an apotheosis.
Odette, Odile and Rothbart
Wikipedia says that it is now common for the same ballerina to dance both Odette, the white swan, and Odile, Rothbart's daughter, who appears only in act three and is usually shown as Odette's double. Rothbart is rarely shown in human form except in act three, and is usually an owl-like creature. The cast list on the Prague booking page gives Odette and Odile to the same names, and lists Prince Siegfried, Rothbart, the Prince's Mother and a Clown.
Endings differ
Wikipedia lists many endings, from tragic to romantic. In some Soviet-era and later Russian productions the lovers live happily ever after, and in others Rothbart wins. The 1895 revival has the lovers die and be reunited. The Prague booking page does not say which ending its evening uses, so treat the ending as a surprise or as a reason to read the booking calendar for your date. Whichever you see, the story you have just read will place every scene.
Frequently asked questions
Who are Odette and Odile?
Odette is the princess turned into a swan, and Odile is Rothbart's daughter, who looks like her. They are now often danced by the same ballerina.
How does Swan Lake end?
It depends on the production. The 1895 version ends with the lovers dying and being reunited, and others give a happy ending.
Do I need to know the story first?
No, but it helps. A reviewer on the Prague booking page advises reading it beforehand so the scenes make sense.
Sources