"Sexuality on Pointe" The Presence of Homosexuality in Tchaikovsky's and Matthwe Bourne's Swan Lake

Abstract

In this thesis I analyse the presence of homosexuality in Tchaikovsky's and Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. The Russian choreographer's alleged sexuality might have influenced the ballet and Tchaikovsky has left clues in the ballet that point towards to the his sexuality and his main character Siegfried's. Over a hundred years later, in 1996, British choreographer Matthew Bourne enhanced these clues and re-visioned Swan Lake. His production of the ballet questions gender, sexuality, masculinity and how these are presented on stage. During this analyses, I focus on the influence of Tchaikovsky's sexuality, how it appears in the music and in the setting of the ballet, moreover I look Bourne's rendition and how it did a U-Turn on the traditional ballet.