Battle Creek Symphony
Saturday, February 14, 2026, 7:30 pm
WK Kellogg Auditorium
Grand Rapids Ballet, James Sofranko Artistic Director
Make Valentine’s Day truly magical with the Grand Rapids Ballet and Swan Lake. Let the lush, soaring music of Tchaikovsky transport you to another world as a prince and his swan princess navigate a moonlit odyssey of longing, forgiveness, and true love.
- This is the third time we have collaborated with the Grand Rapids Ballet. The dancers will be on the stage with the orchestra behind.
- Swan Lake was featured in a major motion picture, Black Swan, as well as an anime movie.
- Can you count how many turns?Swan Lake features some of the most famous music and dance sequences of all time. One of these is the fouettés turns, performed by Odile (also known as the Black Swan) in Act II. A fouetté is a turning movement where a dancer spins around on one foot, like a spinning top. Performing many of these turns in a row is one of the hardest techniques in ballet. Did you know the famous turns weren’t always part of Swan Lake? They were added in 1895 for an Italian ballerina named Pierina Legnani, years after the ballet first premiered. At first, the audience didn’t love them, however, over the years the fouetté turns became more and more popular, and today are seen as the ultimate display of a dancer’s skill.
- Prince Siegfried is said to be loosely based on Bavarian King Ludwig II, who was obsessed with Swans. Interestingly, Lugwig’s castle, Neuschwanstein, literally translates as “New Swan-on-the-rock Castle” and was also the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle.
Check out our new pages with lots of information about what you need to know to have a great concert experience, including information on where to dine/drink before and after the show!
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Phone: 269.963.1911
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE (COVID-19)
The Music Center is currently open and resuming all activities. We take the safety of our students and staff very seriously and follow the CDC and State of Michigan safety guidelines. While we understand some may wish to adhere to their own interpretation of protocols, you will be required you to comply with safety postings in our building in order to participate in our classes and lessons.
