American Ballet Theatre Swan Lake Review
July 14, 2026 | Metropolitan Opera House – New York, NY, USA
Watching American Ballet Theatre’s Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House this season, I was reminded once again why this production of the famous classic, staged by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, has endured for more than 25 years.
This production doesn’t attempt to reinvent tradition.
Instead, it draws its power from Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, the incandescent poetry of the corps de ballet, and the emotional drama that has captivated audiences for nearly 150 years, allowing a new generation of dancers to rediscover and inhabit the familiar story with their own individual gifts.
Since its premiere in Moscow in 1877 and its landmark 1895 revival by Petipa and Ivanov in St. Petersburg for the Mariinsky Ballet, Swan Lake has become the defining classical ballet – a work that demands supreme technical command while asking its performers to convey profound emotional transformation.
Its story unfolds like a fairy tale, but its themes are deeply human. Prince Siegfried, saddled by duty and forced into an arranged marriage, meets Odette, a beautiful young princess transformed into a swan by the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart. Their brief encounter at a lakeside promises freedom and eternal love until Rothbart’s daughter, Odile (the seductive Black Swan, disguised as Odette) deceives the prince into pledging himself to her, Odette’s imposter.
Siegfried’s tragic mistake cannot be undone, and the ballet becomes a meditation on the themes of grief, loss, and transcendence, carried as much by Tchaikovsky’s music as by the choreography itself.
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American Ballet Theatre Swan Lake Review
As Odette and Odile, Chloe Misseldine was exquisite, bringing unique clarity to the ballet’s central duality.
In her dancing and acting, she resisted exaggeration in both roles, allowing each character to emerge through subtle shifts in emotions rather than flashy theatrical gestures.
Her Odette looked otherworldly. With her lithe physique, she was an embodiment of fragility and vulnerability, almost suspended between flight and surrender. Her supple arms expressively unfolded in the air with remarkable suppleness and elasticity – an utter evocation of wings. Her movements seemed to emerge from an inner stillness, her entire body gliding through space with liquid softness while every glace, every gesture suggested longing and fear.
Over the last few years (she was promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer in 2024), Misseldine’s technique has become increasingly assured, yet what impressed me most was how little attention she drew to difficulty. Her long balances appeared inevitable rather than calculated; the demanding adagios unfurled with expansive calm, and her phrasing remained deeply connected to the music.
Her transformation into the devious Odile was thrilling. Instead of portraying a conventional femme fatale, she offered a woman whose confidence alone proved irresistible. She dazzled in the famous Black Swan pas de deux, but it was her assurance and composure, her command of every music accent that gave the scene its incredible effect.
Daniel Camargo’s Prince Siegfried offered an equally compelling interpretation. He portrayed Siegfried as a good-natured young man whose innocence and trust made his ultimate betrayal believable.
Camargo’s dancing possessed a lyrical sweep and expansiveness that fitted the role. His lines were long and clean, his landings quiet and precise, and his speedy turns effortlessly controlled. He proved an assured and generous partner, allowing the ballerina’s performance to progress naturally.
Together, Misseldine and Camargo created moments of genuine affection during the lakeside scenes, making the final act’s tragedy even more heartbreaking.
There were plenty of memorable performances from the supporting cast.
The superb Jake Roxander (who was recently promoted to the Principal rank) excelled in the role of Siegfried’s friend Benno. He wowed the audience with charisma and exceptional brilliance of his dancing in the first act’s pas de trois, flanked by Zimmi Coker and Breanne Granlund.
And Joseph Markey brought loads of magnetic appeal to the role of von Rothbart reincarnated as a suave nobleman.
The national dances in the ballroom supplied welcome flashes of bright color and happy energy, providing contrast before the psychological tension of the Black Swan pas de deux took hold. Even the smaller courtly roles contributed to a fully realized dramatic world of the show.
The choreography for the corps de ballet remains one of this production’s greatest strengths. ABT’s ensemble of swans danced with marvelous unison, making the lakeside scenes utterly mesmerizing. Their formations seemed to ripple organically across the stage, while the famous patterns of crossing lines and sculptural tableaus retained precision and elegance.
What stayed with me after the performance was the sense of genuineness the evening offered.
In a work as iconic as Swan Lake, Misseldine and Camargo reminded us that classical ballet endures because its established canon leaves space for individual approach and interpretation. Within choreography audiences know almost by heart, the dancers created moments that felt unique, intimate, and quietly surprising. That is no small achievement for a ballet that continues to reveal new depths nearly a century and a half after its creation.
Featured Photo of American Ballet Theatre‘s Chloe Misseldine as Odette in Kevin McKenzie’s Swan Lake. Photo by Emma Zordan.
