Alexander Academy Performing Company presents Swan Lake

Alexander Academy Performing Company presents Tchaikovsky’s timeless masterpiece, Swan Lake, from Saturday to Sunday, June 1-2 at Seabury Hall’s ‘A‘ali‘ikuhonua Creative Arts Center.

Across four performances, more than 200 student dancers ages 3 to adult will showcase their talent and skill. Swan Lake, renowned for its complex choreography and demanding lead roles, remains the pinnacle of ballet artistry. 

This year, the Academy welcomes back professional ballet dancer Nathaniel Hunt, currently captivating audiences in both the Broadway Company and the first national tour of Moulin Rouge The Musical. Hunt will grace the stage as Prince Siegfried alongside the AAPC cast. Adele Fabbio and Ululani Laepaa began their Swan Lake journey 10 years ago, and now, as graduating seniors, they return to this cherished production. 

 “This is our first time repeating a Spring production in my 14 years as executive director,” said AAPC’s Danelle Keenan. “The score is one of ballet’s greatest and artistic director Absalon Figueroa has a talented group of dancers to choreograph. We have grown so much as an academy since we presented Swan Lake 10 years ago; the cast is larger, and our costuming is exquisite.  This is going to be a special experience for everyone involved.”  

“Swan Lake is the most famous classical ballet for a very good reason; Tchaikovsky’s music. The score inspires the dancers to push their storytelling abilities using ballet as a vocabulary, transporting the audience to a fantasy world of royalty, magic, love, betrayal, and the struggle between good and evil. The ballet is a visual spectacle including iconic dance sequences and choreography performed worldwide,” said Artistic Director Absalon Figueroa. 

The iconic costumes of Swan Lake help to tell the story and are inspiring for the audience to behold. The white swan Odette is delicate and ethereal, contrasting with the black swan Odile, who is strong and strives for attention.  This year Odette, Odile and the Swan Corps de Ballet will wear custom made tutus, constructed by an army of Maui volunteers, using proper techniques found in professional ballet costume shops. 

“Our dancers deserve to have the best possible costumes we can provide, even though we are located so far from the rest of the world,” said Costume Director Jennifer Oberg. “When a dancer is not comfortable in their costume, they might dance smaller.  I want them to feel confident and dance to their fullest potential.” 

On Saturday, June 1 at 2 p.m., be captivated as Alexander Academy’s Contemporary program sets the stage for the performance prior to Swan Lake. Then, on Sunday, June 2, groove along as the Academy’s Hip Hop and Jazz programs kick off the show with electrifying energy. 

General Admission Tickets are $15 to $35, with keiki tickets available.  Reserve tickets at https://swanlake.eventbrite.com 

For more information, please visit www.alexanderacademy.info.