Odile Tutu from Swan Lake

Odile in Swan Lake in an important role that has been performed by many leading National Ballet dancers, including Lois Smith, Irene Apiné and Angela Leigh, who were influential in the formative years of the company. Originally a black tutu with the sequined and gold details pictured here, the base of the bodice and skirt have faded to variegated shades of blue and purple after years of wearing, cleaning and aging.
The National Ballet of Canada premiered its first four-act Swan Lake in 1955, with choreography after the original Russian masters Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and featuring designs by Kay Ambrose. The ballet was not only the company’s first full-length Swan Lake but it was also the first full-length version to be presented in Canada. At the time only a few established European companies held a full-length production in their repertoire so it was a mark of what founding Artistic Director Celia Franca envisioned for the company that it was undertaken so early in its history.