Il Lago dei Cigni - Roma City Ballet Company

On Sunday 15 November 2026, at 4:30 pm and 8:30 pm, the Teatro Celebrazioni in Bologna presents Swan Lake.

Considered the world’s most famous and most frequently performed ballet, Swan Lake returns to enchant audiences in a unique production. A timeless story of love, betrayal and the triumph of good over evil, accompanied by one of the most beautiful scores ever written, is brought to life in a version that combines the great tradition of classical dance with technological innovation.

At the heart of the production remains the technical and interpretative skill of the dancers: the contrast between the purity of the White Swan and the darkness of the Black Swan is expressed through some of the most celebrated pas de deux in ballet history, symbols of the eternal opposition between light and shadow. This edition is created by Luciano Cannito for the Roma City Ballet Company and is inspired by the historic choreography of Marius Petipa.

For the first time in the history of classical ballet, Artificial Intelligence becomes a central element of the stage. Through an innovative creative process, AI reconstructs the imaginative world of Prince Siegfried and his beloved Odette, bringing the castle, the forest and the famous lake to life through a new visual language.

This version is further enriched by the participation of internationally renowned guest artists, bringing excellence in world-class dance to the stage. Costumes are by Silvia Califano, virtual set design is by Maurizio Gaibisso, lighting is by Valerio Tiberi, while Italo Grassi provides consultancy for the technological set.

“Swan Lake is an archetype. It does not simply tell a romantic fairy tale, but speaks of duality, desire, freedom and destiny,” says Cannito. “The eternal struggle between light and darkness is reflected in the characters and their transformations. In this version, I wanted to explore how a contemporary language — that of Artificial Intelligence — can amplify the poetic dimension of the story without altering its classical nature. AI is not a decorative element, but a new stage tool capable of transforming emotions into images and bringing to life a world that exists between dream and reality. The audience will enter the heart of Prince Siegfried’s visions, in a suspended space where anything can happen. Dance, with its technical purity and evocative power, remains at the centre of the stage: technology does not replace, but rather enhances, the humanity of the dancers and the strength of a story that has continued to speak to us through the centuries.”

A production by Fabrizio di Fiore Entertainment
Artistic direction, staging and choreography: Luciano Cannito
After Marius Petipa, internationally renowned étoile
Soloists and corps de ballet: Roma City Ballet Company
With the participation of Manuel Paruccini
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky