Starring Nina Ananiashvili! The Swan Lake ballet-a universal favorite for children and adults alike--is charmingly brought to life through Nancy Ellison"s captivating pictures. Photographed in and around Moscow"s spectacular Kuskovo Palace, Swan Lake is a wonderful introduction to the beloved story and ballet as well as an enchanting keepsake for aficionados of the bittersweet tale. The ballet comes vividly to life on every page: lonely Prince Siegfried, walking along the shore of the palace, happens upon a group of swans transforming into lovely young maidens before his eyes. Siegfried is enchanted with the beauty and grace of the swan queen, Odette. She and her princesses are under the spell of an evil magician, which can only be broken when a prince promises to love her forever. Young readers will follow the story with bated breath as Siegfried promises to marry Odette-but is his love strong enough to break through the magician"s spell? NANCY ELLISON is a photojournalist, whose work has appeared in many publications, including the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Vogue, LIFE, and Newsweek. She has had numerous exhibitions of her work, and her photographs are in many public and private collections. She and her husband reside in New York City. AMY EPHRON is a novelist, screenwriter, and producer. Her literary works include White Rose; una rosa blanca; and A Cup of Tea. She was executive producer for the highly acclaimed film A Little Princess. She lives in Los Angeles, with her three children. NINA ANANIASHVILI is the principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gold Medal in the Moscow International Ballet Competition, the State Prize of Georgia, and the State Prize of Russia. In addition to dancing with the Bolshoi Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre, Ananiashvili has also appeared with the Royal Danish Ballet, the Kirov Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Boston Ballet, the Munich Ballet, and the Tokyo Ballet, among others. 80 pages of photographs in full color, 10 x 9 3/4"