Swan Lake Dances to Prescott Park Arts Festival Sept. 2, 4

PORTSMOUTH, NH: — Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is teaming up with the Great Bay Academy of Dance to present Swan Lake at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, and Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, according to a press statement, on the Prescott Park Arts Festival stage in Portsmouth. The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is comprised of more than 65 musicians from the Seacoast region. The full orchestra will be performing the moving and expressive score for Swan Lake, allowing audience members to fully experience the magic of ballet when coupled with live music.

Tchaikovsky's classic ballet, which originally débuted in Russia in 1877, is a tale of love and loss woven around two girls, Odette and Odile, who resemble each other so closely they are often mistaken for one another. The white swan, Odette, attempts to win the love of her prince while Rothbart and Odile, the black swan, tries to ruin their love.

“The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is always looking for ways to collaborate and connect with new and different audiences,” notes John Page, Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director. “Elisa Gerasin, the Director of Great Bay Academy of Dance, and I started talking about bringing the first ballet with a full orchestra to the Prescott Park Arts Festival stage several years ago. She and I have worked together each year in order to make these performances a reality and we know audiences of all ages will be delighted.”

“These organization are a treasured part of our community and we’re honored to have them on our stage,” said Prescott Park Arts Festival President, Ben Anderson. “This celebration of local talent is the perfect way for us to wrap up our summer season.”

Both performances are open at no charge to the public, however a suggested donation of $5-10 at the gate is encouraged. In the event of inclement weather, the performance will take place at Portsmouth High School.

Submitted by Caroline Amport Piper.