The 1958 Chinese Swan Lake : A Chapter in the History of a Global Phenomenon

In 1958, the Beijing Dance School mounted a full-length production of Swan Lake. Despite Chinese pride in this milestone, the work is all but ignored in histories of Chinese dance, limiting its broader recognition. Drawing on primary sources, memoirs, interviews and ballet histories, this article frames Swan Lake as a dance achievement adhering to a political timetable. It analyzes the government’s role in bringing the ballet to life and reconstructs the production process. Finally, it seeks to contribute to a decentred history of the ballet that acknowledges its ubiquity