---
product_id: 4256259
title: "Swan Lake"
price: "$77"
currency: NZD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/4256259-swan-lake
store_origin: NZ
region: New Zealand
---

# Swan Lake

**Price:** $77
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Swan Lake
- **How much does it cost?** $77 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/4256259-swan-lake)

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- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Description

It is difficult to believe today that Swan Lake was a failure on it's production in 1877 and was not successful until the Petipa/Ivanov version of 1895. Today it is regarded as one of the greatest works in the art of ballet. The magic of Tchaikovsky's musical soundtrack underplays this gala performance.

Review: Overall a flawless and magnificent production - A magnificent production despite my one caveat; namely, the irritating narrative that precedes each act. Most ballet lovers, I suspect, know the plot. I find this narrative obvious and intrusive, serving only as an interference, and distraction to what is the stunning confluence of music and choreography, not to mention the flawless execution and emotional depth of the soloists and corps.
Review: Still the definitive "Swan Lake" - on video - I have watched many live and video performances of this ballet and this is the one version I find myself returning to time and time again. There is something so dramatically compelling about the way Makarova and Dowell interpret their roles that my attention is held in a way that perhaps more technically proficient renderings of the roles could not. Makarova and Dowell in the leads are ultimately the most satisfying interpretations I have yet witnessed. Makarova's dancing is a wonder to behold; her magisterial, liquid adagio dancing in the Act II grand pas deux was of course, a given. Makarova's dancing was possessed of a unique physicality, a way of moving that made it seem as though her arms and legs were radiating a plush and limitless stretch. One could almost see an energy field originating from the centre of her body and pulsing out through her arms and legs and emanating far beyond her head, hands and feet. There seemed to be a mysterious and boundless stretch to Makarova. Baryshnikov too, had this "mysterious stretch" in his dancing. And Makarova's hands, what magical and bewitching worlds can be conjured from a pair expressive arms and hands! Watch, at the coda of Act II when Makarova's Odette runs towards Dowell's Siegfried, and is caught in his arms and lifted high above his head. With a ripple of her arms, the well-timed arch of her back, neck and head, one could almost believe Odette would take flight right then. The moment is breathtaking and for that moment, time might as well have stopped. What has continued to surprise me is Makarova's Odile. In this act Makarova, physically, becomes a whole other creature. The same lambent grace is still there, the same palpable and mysterious stretch, but now her edges have sharpened and her dancing has taken on a hard, cold, obdurate quality. I will never forget her baleful expression when she first turns towards Prince Siegfried to present her hand for the very first time. This moment marks the beginning of the Act III "Black Swan" grand pas de deux, and what a spellbinding moment it is. The whole ballroom now shines with a hectic glitter and now begins the ultimate dance of deception. Unshakable bravura was never a hallmark of Makarova's dancing and I could quibble about her indifferent fouettes. I prefer instead to revel in the splendour of her dramatic interpretation. From start to finish, Makarova's Odile is a textbook example of how to enchant a Prince and an audience into believing completely, an evil magician's deception. Even as Makarova negotiates Odile's treacherous choreography, her conviction and her hold on her dramatic portrayal is so unwavering that by the end, the Prince is utterly destroyed. Makarova's Odile is so convincing that at the end of the pas de deux, the audience finds itself on its feet applauding not a ballerina, but for the total triumph of von Rothbart's diabolical creation. As an aside, Makarova's pique/chaine turns at the end of her solo are so fleet and so delicious that I never again want to see another dancer stumping her way through this same variation. I make special mention of Sir Fredrick Ashton's choreography in Act IV. There's a particularly lovely and effective sequence where in small groups, Odette ushers away her swan sisters and returns to a kneeling Siegfried, bends down slowly and deeply into an arabesque penche and bestows her forgiveness for Siegfried's unwitting betrayal. Almost no one does this "forgiveness and reconciliation" scene anymore. The overall production values of the Royal Ballet's "Swan Lake" are somewhat inconsistent, the stage sets and costumes look like they were taken out of cold storage and the dancing of the corps de ballet could benefit from a more pliant use of the back and arms. Natalia Makarova and Anthony Dowell's dancing are of a kind that informs an age. I search in vain for a young Makarova or a young Baryshnikov that would bring the same magic and transcendent artistry from which their legends were made.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | B00008AOR4 |
| Actors  | Anthony Dowell, Natalia Makarova |
| Aspect Ratio  | 1.33:1 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #106,421 in Movies & TV ( See Top 100 in Movies & TV ) #1,147 in Performing Arts (Movies & TV) #3,691 in Special Interests (Movies & TV) #9,376 in Classical (CDs & Vinyl) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (198) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer  | No |
| Item model number  | D1408 |
| MPAA rating  | Unrated (Not Rated) |
| Media Format  | Classical, Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC |
| Number of discs  | 1 |
| Producers  | Royal Ballet Covent Garden |
| Product Dimensions  | 7.75 x 5.75 x 0.53 inches; 2.88 ounces |
| Release date  | April 15, 2003 |
| Run time  | 2 hours and 17 minutes |
| Studio  | Kultur Video |

## Product Details

- **Contributor:** Anthony Dowell, Natalia Makarova, Royal Ballet Covent Garden
- **Format:** Classical, Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC
- **Genre:** Music Video & Concerts, Musicals & Performing Arts/Ballet & Dance
- **Language:** English
- **Runtime:** 2 hours and 17 minutes

## Images

![Swan Lake - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81GZuX2Eo2L.jpg)
![Swan Lake - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/913XTf2H6NL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Overall a flawless and magnificent production
*by A***Y on January 12, 2026*

A magnificent production despite my one caveat; namely, the irritating narrative that precedes each act. Most ballet lovers, I suspect, know the plot. I find this narrative obvious and intrusive, serving only as an interference, and distraction to what is the stunning confluence of music and choreography, not to mention the flawless execution and emotional depth of the soloists and corps.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Still the definitive "Swan Lake" - on video
*by A***A on November 14, 2005*

I have watched many live and video performances of this ballet and this is the one version I find myself returning to time and time again. There is something so dramatically compelling about the way Makarova and Dowell interpret their roles that my attention is held in a way that perhaps more technically proficient renderings of the roles could not. Makarova and Dowell in the leads are ultimately the most satisfying interpretations I have yet witnessed. Makarova's dancing is a wonder to behold; her magisterial, liquid adagio dancing in the Act II grand pas deux was of course, a given. Makarova's dancing was possessed of a unique physicality, a way of moving that made it seem as though her arms and legs were radiating a plush and limitless stretch. One could almost see an energy field originating from the centre of her body and pulsing out through her arms and legs and emanating far beyond her head, hands and feet. There seemed to be a mysterious and boundless stretch to Makarova. Baryshnikov too, had this "mysterious stretch" in his dancing. And Makarova's hands, what magical and bewitching worlds can be conjured from a pair expressive arms and hands! Watch, at the coda of Act II when Makarova's Odette runs towards Dowell's Siegfried, and is caught in his arms and lifted high above his head. With a ripple of her arms, the well-timed arch of her back, neck and head, one could almost believe Odette would take flight right then. The moment is breathtaking and for that moment, time might as well have stopped. What has continued to surprise me is Makarova's Odile. In this act Makarova, physically, becomes a whole other creature. The same lambent grace is still there, the same palpable and mysterious stretch, but now her edges have sharpened and her dancing has taken on a hard, cold, obdurate quality. I will never forget her baleful expression when she first turns towards Prince Siegfried to present her hand for the very first time. This moment marks the beginning of the Act III "Black Swan" grand pas de deux, and what a spellbinding moment it is. The whole ballroom now shines with a hectic glitter and now begins the ultimate dance of deception. Unshakable bravura was never a hallmark of Makarova's dancing and I could quibble about her indifferent fouettes. I prefer instead to revel in the splendour of her dramatic interpretation. From start to finish, Makarova's Odile is a textbook example of how to enchant a Prince and an audience into believing completely, an evil magician's deception. Even as Makarova negotiates Odile's treacherous choreography, her conviction and her hold on her dramatic portrayal is so unwavering that by the end, the Prince is utterly destroyed. Makarova's Odile is so convincing that at the end of the pas de deux, the audience finds itself on its feet applauding not a ballerina, but for the total triumph of von Rothbart's diabolical creation. As an aside, Makarova's pique/chaine turns at the end of her solo are so fleet and so delicious that I never again want to see another dancer stumping her way through this same variation. I make special mention of Sir Fredrick Ashton's choreography in Act IV. There's a particularly lovely and effective sequence where in small groups, Odette ushers away her swan sisters and returns to a kneeling Siegfried, bends down slowly and deeply into an arabesque penche and bestows her forgiveness for Siegfried's unwitting betrayal. Almost no one does this "forgiveness and reconciliation" scene anymore. The overall production values of the Royal Ballet's "Swan Lake" are somewhat inconsistent, the stage sets and costumes look like they were taken out of cold storage and the dancing of the corps de ballet could benefit from a more pliant use of the back and arms. Natalia Makarova and Anthony Dowell's dancing are of a kind that informs an age. I search in vain for a young Makarova or a young Baryshnikov that would bring the same magic and transcendent artistry from which their legends were made.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Still the best Swan Lake on dvd
*by L***E on April 22, 2007*

I'm not an expert but was a ballerina as a little girl and graduated into toe shoes in my early teens, so I know how difficult it is to dance ballet. Makarova is simply enchanting as Odette the Swan Princess. She was in her early 40's when this was filmed in the 80's. Her classical training in the Russian ballet program is very evident here. She's not perfect, but comes pretty close. This is a very demanding role for any ballerina especially one nearing the end of a fabulous career. Her legendary reputation is certainly solidified by this magnificent performance. Her beautiful, fluid arm movements are absolutely mesmerizing. Her facial and physical expressions add to a beautiful, dramatic interpretation. I have yet to see another ballerina emote and bring forth such dramatic intensity as Odette. Dowell is a very talented dancer and quite handsome too. I enjoyed his pirouettes and he has amazing balance. I thought he was quite sensitive as Prince Siegfried. They seemed to have very good chemistry. The Swan maidens were wonderful, but lacking the exact precision of the Paris Ballet or Kirov corps. Film was beautifully shot and has held up well considering the age of the original master tape. Overall, this is still my favorite Swan Lake performance on dvd simply for Makarova & Dowell's performances. At the curtain call, it was charming to see Makarova kiss a single red rose from her bouquet and present it to Dowell for a job well done.

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*Product available on Desertcart New Zealand*
*Store origin: NZ*
*Last updated: 2026-02-27*