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International Ballet Stars are bringing “Swan Lake” to Kiva Auditorium for one night, Sunday, April 12.

Ekaterina Yachmennikova, founder and producer of International Ballet Stars, said “Swan Lake” is a timeless and genius masterpiece.

“I would like to make classical ballet as accessible as possible,” Yachmennikova said, “and bring it everywhere.”

She said the production is among the most in-demand in the world, and the image of Odette in white is what many think of when they talk about ballet.

Yachmennikova said the storyline is perfect for all ages.

“We can witness that the power of love can overcome any challenge and help us dream for a couple of hours,” Yachmennikova said.

The combination of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s composition and Marius Petipa’s choreography is what makes “Swan Lake” special, she said.

Tchaikovsky originally composed the music in the 1870s. In the 1890s, Petipa, alongside composer Lev Ivanov, revived “Swan Lake” with new choreography that is used by most ballet companies today.

“When two geniuses blend together, it’s truly something that you want to see again and again,” she said.

The International Ballet Stars production of “Swan Lake,” she said, stays true to Petipa’s choreography.

She said being able to perform the ballet, with all its challenges, such as Odile’s 32 fouetté turns, shows the dancers’ talent and preparation.

In addition to the dancers, there are 10 specialists on the technical crew to help handle the costumes and the 200-piece scenery.

“It truly takes a village to produce and deliver such a high-scale production,” Yachmennikova said.

She said the scale of the scenery and the hand-painted costumes done by artists from Ukraine impress audiences.

“It’s breathtaking to see those costumes and the characters of ‘Swan Lake,’” Yachmennikova said.

Casting for the show begins about a year before the tour, she said, with dancers practicing separately before coming together as they cast the production.

“Swan Lake” has a cast of 50 dancers from countries all over the world, including Japan, Ukraine, America, the ����������ϼ� Kingdom and more, she said.

“We just want to show how nowadays, the different countries and different backgrounds and cultures can be united by the universal language of ballet,” she said.

Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow from the New Mexico Local ����������ϼ� Fellowship program. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.