Swan Lake Ending

No dying swan tonight...

Choreographer and ballerina discussion...

Denys: We have a choice of five endings: one happy through good defeating evil, one tragic self-sacrifice, and three tragic finales with evil defeating good.

Maya: I guess we do one of the tragic endings?

Denys: This audience likes happy endings. So we'll have Sergei pull the wing off Von Rothbart, who then dies. Odette doesn't die, and she and Sergei are united.

Maya: I don’t die? No dying swan?

Denys: The audience likes to see you go out victorious. Good triumphs over evil.

Maya: But life does not always have happy endings. Not in the Ukraine. Not anywhere.

Denys: But it’s what people expect in a story.

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Voice-over

Basic versions of the Swan Lake endings include:

The good live happily ever after…

Siegfried tears off Von Rothbart’s wing and he dies (as above). Odette and Siegfried are united.

The good triumph through self-sacrifice…

Odette commits suicide, Siegfried follows her, Von Rothbart’s power is destroyed.

The bad win triggering a tragic ending…

Odette is devastated by Siegfried’s betrayal, remains a swan, Siegfried grieves.

Odette forgives Siegfried, brief reconciliation, but Von Rothbart defeats Siegfried in a storm.

Rothbart kills Siegfried, then carries Odette off with him.

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