Beloved 'Swan Lake' ballet comes to IMAX big screen for the first time

A performance of the Pas De Deux from "Swan Lake" ahead of its showing on IMAX, November 6, 2024. Anna Cerezo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Filipino audiences can experience “Swan Lake,” one of the most beloved ballets of all time, in a never-before-seen, never-before-heard immersive experience, as the famed love story comes to the IMAX big screens for the first time.

The one-of-a-kind film, shot on the grand stage of the Paris Opera, will be shown at SM Cinemas from November 8-10. 

“It was really realistic even if it was not live. It gives me a really cool vibe. Im really grateful there are films like this, more people can watch and appreciate. People like me na never pa nakapunta ng ballet before,” Kyla Davis, one of the audience members who watched the premiere, shared. 

Ballet Philippines captivated those who attended the premiere with a mesmerizing live performance of the “Pas De Deux.” 

The special prelude immersed guests in the enchanting world of Swan Lake, setting the tone for an extraordinary evening of ballet and cinema where the cast—Sae Eun Park as Odette, Paul Marque as Prince Siegfried, and Pablo Legasa as the evil sorcerer Rothbart— breathe new life into the classic tale. 

“I am used to watch in cinemas marvel movies, mga action. This is new to me,” Danny, who was likewise present at the opening night, said. 

“It is a new way of [storytelling and bonding]. We are excited because we will experience with friends and later we will be able to share and talk about it after,” Christine, another member of the audience, added.