Combining Tchaikovsky’s musical masterpiece with contemporary arrangements, he reinvents the timeless tale of love, betrayal, seduction, and remorse into a contemporary ecological tragedy. The evil sorcerer von Rothbart is portrayed as an industrialist who wants to exploit fossil fuels against a backdrop of unbridled capitalism, while Siegfried and Odette are the two eco-conscious heroes who try to thwart his plans.

With 26 dancers, this Swan Lake truly takes flight in its beautiful tribute to the original. Audiences who have seen Ballet Preljocaj’s previous four appearances in Ann Arbor, including the magical Snow White a decade ago, are in for a treat when classical ballet meets modern dance on the stage of the Detroit Opera House.