Swan Lake

A beautiful concertina book detailing a night at the Ballet - the pristine theatre, audience and performance on one side and the back-stage bustle and nerves on the other.

Based on a performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, the images are not only inspired by the dramatic story but also the atmosphere of a working dance venue.

Zhu illustrates the orchestra, the boxes and even the entrance hall and ticket office.

Back-stage are ropes and pulleys, stage hands and prop handlers, ballerinas nervously awaiting their queue, the director signalling and gesturing silently.