RBO 26/27: Swan Lake

Name: RBO 26/27: Swan Lake
Start: 2026-11-07T00:00:00+01:00
End: 2027-04-26T00:00:00+02:00
Location: De Cacaofabriek

Sat, 7 Nov 2026 · — Mon, 26 Apr

De Cacaofabriek, Helmond

ballet date culture

The Royal Ballet brings Swan Lake to De Cacaofabriek in Helmond on Sunday, 30 August 2026. This is the company's sole Dutch date on the tour. The former cocoa factory, now a vibrant cultural hub, provides a distinctive setting for this classical ballet. Liam Scarlett's choreography follows Princess Odette, cursed by the sorcerer Von Rothbart and transformed into a swan. Only an oath of eternal love can break the spell. When Prince Siegfried meets her, he promises to free her - but Von Rothbart plots to thwart their plans. Tchaikovsky's score accompanies this timeless tale of love and betrayal.

The Royal Ballet — also plays in other cities (4)

all dates →

About: Swan Lake

Tchaikovsky wrote his score in 1875-1876, yet it was the 1895 Petipa-Ivanov choreography that turned the work into a global phenomenon. Rudi van Dantzig's Dutch version - with Toer van Schayk's vivid folk dances in the third act - has been a cornerstone of Dutch National Ballet's repertoire for decades.

Most performed ballet in the world

1877

Year of world premiere, Bolshoi Theater Moscow

Performances Shanghai Ballet in the Netherlands (2026 tour)

150

Year after the world premiere - jubilee season National Ballet 2026-2027

What's new

2026-09
The Shanghai Ballet opened a 44-day Dutch tour on August 28, 2026 with Swan Lake at the World Forum Theater in The Hague, for a sold-out audience of 1,500 spectators.
2026-10
The National Ballet brings back Rudi van Dantzig's version to the stage of the National Opera & Ballet in Amsterdam, exactly 150 years after the world premiere of Tchaikovsky's score.
2026-06
In June 2026 there were multiple performances of Swan Lake at the RAI Theater and the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch, as part of a new European tour production.

Tour

Den HaagGroningenRotterdamAmsterdamApeldoornMaastrichtDen Bosch

Tracks

Zwanenmeer-thema (Tsjaikovski, op. 20)The recognizable main theme, one of the most famous melodies from classical music

Pas de deux (Witte Zwaan, Akte II)Highlight of the ballet: the meeting between Odette and Prince Siegfried

Dans van de kleine zwanenIconic group dance of four dancers in perfect synchronization

Zwarte Zwaan pas de deux (Akte III)Famous for the 32 fouettés of Odile, one of the greatest technical challenges in ballet

Wals (Akte I)Festive opening waltz that sets the story in motion

RBO 26/27: Swan Lake

Ballet · Helmond 9 in the next 30 days →