Touring ballet company bringing Swan Lake to San Luis Obispo
– World Ballet Company will bring its production of Swan Lake to the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo on Feb. 15, with a performance scheduled for 6 p.m.
The performance is part of the company’s 2025–2026 national tour, which includes more than 80 performances across the country during the second half of the season. The San Luis Obispo performance will feature a live orchestra performing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s score.
World Ballet Company is currently in its fourth full season as a touring ballet company. The company performs in more than 180 cities each year across over 40 U.S. states and focuses on presenting classical ballets to audiences in both large and small communities.
Producer Gulya Hartwick, who co-founded World Ballet Company with Sasha Gorskaya, said the company is bringing one of ballet’s most recognized works to San Luis Obispo.
“Swan Lake is arguably the most iconic ballet ever created, and we’re thrilled to bring this majestic production to San Luis Obispo,” Hartwick said.
The production features choreography by Nadezhda Kalinina, based on the original staging by Marius Petipa. The show includes more than 150 hand-sewn costumes, hand-painted sets created using traditional theatrical techniques, and projection and multimedia visuals.
Gorskaya said the production blends classical ballet with immersive storytelling.
“It’s a magical experience for both ballet newcomers and longtime fans,” she said.
Swan Lake tells the story of Prince Siegfried and Odette, a princess cursed to live as a swan by day. The story follows Siegfried’s pledge to break the spell, his deception by the sorcerer’s daughter Odile, and the resulting tragedy. The ballet is known for sequences such as the Dance of the Little Swans and the Black Swan’s fouettés.
The San Luis Obispo performance will take place at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo, located at 1 Grand Ave. Tickets range from $64 to $142. The runtime is 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission. The performance is recommended for audiences ages 5 and older.
The company’s 2025–2026 season also includes Cinderella, scheduled from Sept. 23 through May 17, and The Nutcracker, scheduled from Nov. 13 through Dec. 28.
More information is available at worldballetcompany.com.
