Swan Lake is one of my favorite ballets which is why I love to include it in my preschool ballet curriculum. However there are not many preschool friendly books available of this story. An interesting fact is no one is even sure of the story's true origin. This is why I decided to write my own version and include the elements that I love to use in my classes.Swan Lake was Peter Tchaikovsky's first ballet score. Up until this point ballet scores were merely there to service the dancing. However this score by Tchaikovsky changed all that. Even though it was his first ballet. It was not only danceable but it was inspirational to listen to.The score was first produced in 1877 and choreographed by Julius Reisinger for Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet. This first attempt was not received well. Some believe that it was just ahead of its time because it had a more elaborate score. It wasn't until 1895 when Marius Petipa staged a production, with assistance from Lev Ivanov, for the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg that it achieved its fame. This production was a tribute to Tchaikovsky who had just past away the year before. Pierina Legnani, who became famous for being the first dancer to perform 32 fouettés in Cinderella in 1893, again performed her famous 32 turns in the 1895 production of Swan Lake. These 32 fouettés are still choreographed in many productions of Swan Lake today! Let’s all dance and spin around together!