Swan Lake: from the Bolshoi to Bourne and beyond

Swan Lake is often called the world's favourite ballet and is seldom off the stage. It's a highlight of the Spring Dance season at the Coliseum in London, performed by American Ballet Theatre Photograph: Tristram Kenton

American Ballet Theatre's production is a characteristically lavish rendition of the story Photograph: Tristram Kenton

Swan Lake was composed between 1875 and 1876 by Tchaikovsky, who also wrote the music for Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker Photograph: Corbis

Julius Reisinger choreographed the premiere of Swan Lake at the Bolshoi theatre in Moscow in 1877 Photograph: Public Domain

The Bolshoi ballet continues to perform Swan Lake around the world, as seen here at the Royal Opera House in London in 2006 Photograph: Tristram Kenton

Choreographers Marius Petipa, seen here in the painting Dancemania (1837), and Lev Ivanov revived Swan Lake in 1895 Photograph: Gaudaushart/Getty Images

The story of Swan Lake follows Odette (played here by Marianela Nunez of the Royal Ballet in 2008), a princess who is cursed to be a swan Photograph: Tristram Kenton

Prince Siegfried, played here by David Hallberg of the American Ballet Theatre, falls in love with Odette (ABT's Michele Wiles) Photograph: Tristram Kenton

Alicia Markova, pictured in 1954, was the first English dancer to play Odette in Swan Lake Photograph: Baron/Getty Images

Margot Fonteyn danced a memorable Odette opposite Rudolf Nureyev in a screen version of Swan Lake in 1966 Photograph: Reg Wilson/Rex Features

The story is usually set in Russia and eastern Europe, but Northern Ballet Theatre's production relocated the action to New England shortly before the first world war Photograph: Bill Cooper/Northern Ballet

British choreographer Matthew Bourne reinvented the fairytale with his version, first staged in 1995 Photograph: Eamonn McCabe

Bourne's Swan Lake has an all-male ensemble rather than the traditional female corps de ballet Photograph: Bill Cooper

Bourne's production has been seen all over the world and was featured in the movie Billy Elliot Photograph: Kristian Dowling/Getty Images

Jan Fabre choreographed Swan Lake as a 'magic lantern dream', danced by the Royal Ballet of Flanders at the Edinburgh international festival in 2002 Photograph: Murdo Macleod

In 2005, the Pennsylvania Ballet brought its take on Swan Lake to the Edinburgh festival. The show was inspired by Degas and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon Photograph: David Cheskin/PA

Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China's rendition of the ballet added frogs, monkeys and a camel to the story, which was performed with additional martial arts and fire hoops Photograph: Christopher Thomond

The Imperial Ice Stars performed Swan Lake on ice in a touring production in 2006 Photograph: Don McPhee

The English National Ballet performs Swan Lake on a stage floating in the Bassin de Neptune, in the grounds of Versailles in 2007 Photograph: Graeme Robertson

The New York Ballet's Sofiane Sylve surveys the scene from a box at the Royal Albert Hall, where she danced in Swan Lake in 2007 Photograph: David Levene

Swan Lake remains a popular staple for the Royal Ballet Photograph: Kieran Doherty/Reuters

Dancers from the English National Ballet watch a Swan Lake rehearsal from the wings at the Coliseum in 2008 Photograph: Sarah Lee

The American Ballet Theatre's dancers rehearse their Swan Lake at the London Coliseum. ABT's Swan Lake is based on Petipa and Ivanov's 1895 production Photograph: Graeme Robertson

The American Ballet Theatre's Swan Lake is at the London Coliseum until 31 March Photograph: Graeme Robertson