With the help of artists from the former Soviet Union, China founded its first ballet company and the first Chinese swan was born in 1959.

Since then, New Year doesn't happen here without a Swan Lake performance. This time the swans will be flying in from London.

The world acclaimed English National Ballet will perform the classic Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ballet at the Century Theater. The company's leading dancers, Agnes Oaks and Thomas Edur, will perform the roles of Odette/Odile and the Prince.

The English National Ballet first performed the complete four-act ballet in Verona in 1964, and this production by Derek Deane is the company's ninth production of Swan Lake.

In 1997, the English National Ballet spent 1.8 million pounds ($3.5 million) on the production that premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Sixty swans, dozens of extras, hundreds of costumes, dry ice and strobe lighting caused a sensation and it has since been enjoyed by over 300,000 people.

Chen Jie

7:30 pm, Jan 30 - Feb 3

Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District

9609-6260

(China Daily January 25, 2008)