Swan Princess
2026-03-28
On the topic of the Swan Lake Ballet and inspirations like Barbie's Swan Lake, I think the Swan Princess is a great adaptation. I only ever watched the first and second one but I know they came up with five other movies at least. Certainly a cash grab the longer they go, and even changes in animation style when they go from 2D to 3D. This adaptation only uses the folk story of Swan Lake and none of the music. In fact, they write their own music and turns Swan Lake into a musical to move the story along! It has a balanced perspective for both Odette and Prince Siegfried "Derek" in this version.
The first song is "This is My Idea of Fun" where it focuses on Odette and Derek's childhood animosity where they are forced to spend every summer together. They hated each other and caused grievous bodily harm to each other with broken arms and legs in casts. The background story is that their parents are trying to get them used to each other in order to prepare them for the arranged marriage. They have lines that make it clear everything is preplanned through the diegetic lyrics from parents, the children, and the choir of villagers, "It's such good parenting and politics", "every June until September, we've been told we would someday wed", "long before they met, Derek and Odette were destined to be married".
When we get to the latter part of the song, they suddenly see each other in a different version of their childhood enemy and fall in love. I like that the details imply what they both find important. Odette comments on Derek's smile and how it makes her knees feel weak. Derek comments on how Odette was so pretty now, she was an ugly duckling that became a beautiful swan. AND THEN DEREK PUTS HIS FOOT IN IT AND RUINS EVERYTHING. What does he like about Odette? "She's beautiful, what else is there?"
The record scratch from that moment. Odette rightly leaves in a huff. She disappears shortly after (kidnapped by a sorcerer) and kickstarts her transformation into a swan. Odette can fly but she can only transform back into a human if she is on the lake she was cursed in front of under the light of the moon. Without the light, she cannot change back.
In the interim, we see Derek's self reflective journey. The song "Practice, Practice, Practice" is so funny. He and his friends make the orchestra dress up as animals with points and use them as hunting practice.
There are songs for the main acts of the ballet. The one that represents Odette and Derek reuniting on the lake is "Far Longer than Forever". Love song hear and there, the only big thing I can comment on is that Liz Callaway is the singing voice for Odette and she is also the same voice actor for Anastasia. I think it's neat that she was the non-Disney princess voice go-to!
Like the ballet, my favourite scene is Act III, I love the line up with "Princesses on Parade". The Queen invites a variety of Princesses after Derek offended Odette as a back up plan. They are dressed up as if they were pageant queens in identical outfits, but I like that their facial features are subtly different. You can tell who is who when they come out in their homeland's traditional clothes.