How could anyone fall in love with a bird? Oddly, nearly every year, millions do. As a ballet-dancing prince loses his heart to a swan while hunting in the forest, audiences in theatres around the globe feel a tug at their heartstrings, too. 

The subject of this ongoing affair? Swan Lake. Since the first rendition of the ballet ­ set to Tchaikovsky's memorable music ­ danced across a Moscow stage in 1877, it has gone through more transformations than any other ballet. Many have relied on what is considered the definitive staging from an 1895 version, but in the past decade, adventurous choreographers have diverged from convention. 

Even in Singapore, we've seen a variety of takes on the classic. Productions shown at recent Singapore Arts festivals range from the traditional version by England's Royal Ballet (1995); a Greek trailer-park rendition, called Swan Lake City, by the National Theatre of Northern Greece (2004); and the whacky deconstructed Birdbrain by Australian Dance Theatre (2002). 

Pirouetting into even farther-out territory, Londoner Matthew Bourne incorporated male dancers as swans in his 2005 production, while Swede Mats Ek used bald ones in 1987. These unusual casting changes gave the narrative a Freudian twist, exploring issues such as homosexuality (did the prince really want to marry a princess?), the Oedipal complex (did his mother want to keep him for herself?), and 'Romeo and Juliet syndrome', where star-crossed lovers live ­ or rather, die ­ happily ever after through a suicide pact. 

But come Christmas week, the choreography we¹ll see from Singapore Dance Theatre's assistant artistic director Janek Schergen will make no apologies for paying homage to the traditional Swan Lake. Expect to see all the favourite pas de deux and solos, as well as the 'Dance of the Little Cygnets'. In fact, Schergen's version is so faithful that he dug deep into the show's archives and unearthed the seldom-performed 'Valse Bluette' (look for it in Act two). There will also be new sets and costumes, as well as some additional choreography and music. In our interview, Schergen calls the ballet a 'time marker' ­ that is, something so indelible that viewers always remember the first time they saw it. Perhaps the 'surprise ending' he has in store will help make that dream of love at first sight come true. 

See here for more information. 
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