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Swan Lake in 3D ... leaping into a living room near you
Mark Prigg, Science and Technology Editor28 May 2009
It is Swan Lake as you've never seen it. Thirty-two English National Ballet dancers appear to leap over you and into your living room — all for less than the price of a seat in the gods.
Viewers wearing 3D glasses will be able to watch concert-standard ballet from the comfort of the sofa as part of an experiment by Sky television. The “3D Swan Lake” is being shown at the Hay Festival in Wales but the broadcasting giant is working on bringing it to every living room.
It was filmed in the lavish Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, where the English National Ballet danced a five-minute piece based on key moments from Swan Lake.
Lead roles are played by the company's principal dancers Fernanda Oliveira and Arionel Vargas. Craig Hassall, managing director of the ENB, said: “We decided to create a piece from the end of Act Four of Swan Lake, where the fate of the lovers is decided.
This was an amazing opportunity for us to promote ballet and bring it to a new audience. “The choreography was very interesting to work on. Normally, the ballet stops at the edge of the orchestra pit. However, with 3D we can go much further.
“Cameras were running through the dancers, and we can do things like lifting the dancers' legs over the camera. It's incredibly immersive for the audience, and even we were shocked by how good the footage was.”
The high-definition broadcasts are filmed using dual cameras — one for each eye. Polarising lenses on the special glasses only allow the eye to see the camera's viewpoint, fooling the brain into thinking it is seeing a 3D image.
Sky spokesman Gerry O'Sullivan said they had to install a sprung floor and use a 30ft crane and two camera rails.
“We know from talking to Sky Arts that ballet is something that fans feel just as passionate about as the most enthusiastic football fan, and we wanted to see if we could recreate the experience of a live ballet in the home,” he said.
It is the first time Sky has revealed the 3D TV system, which it hopes could be in living rooms across Britain next year.
