Birmingham Hippodrome’s friends at Birmingham Royal Ballet have today (Tue 20 Dec) announced that Polina Semionova, Resident Guest Principal Artist with the Berlin State Ballet and former Principal Artist with The American Ballet Theatre in New York, will guest perform the iconic dual lead role of Odette and Odile in the world’s best-loved ballet, Swan Lake, with BRB next year. This will be a rare chance to see one of the greatest ballerinas of our generation perform in the UK, in BRB’s home city at Birmingham Hippodrome for two nights only on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 February 2023.

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director Carlos Acosta said “Polina is a ballerina of such quality and grace, the kind of dancer that makes everything she does so special, a great role model to follow. She has cultivated a string of awards and an extensive career that has led her to perform with the major opera houses of the world. I’m thrilled that she will dance with Birmingham Royal Ballet and that British audiences will have a rare chance to see her dance live. Having her in BRB’s Swan Lake will enrich the perspective of our dancers and ultimately will inspire them.”

Birmingham Royal Ballet revives Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s glorious journey into Swan Lake with this lavish production, with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia performing Tchaikovsky’s superb music live alongside BRB’s spectacular dancers. This romantic fable of ill-fated passion has bewitched audiences for generations and will tour from January – March 2023.

Prince Siegfried is out hunting one night when he happens upon a flock of graceful swans. When one of them turns into a beautiful woman, the Prince is utterly smitten – but Odette explains that she has fallen under an evil spell cast by the evil Baron von Rothbart, which keeps her in swan form from dawn to dusk. Can Siegfried’s love break the spell? Find out in this exquisite production of a true ballet classic.

Swan Lake will run at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday 15 February and will play until Saturday 25 February 2023.