Two months ago St Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre broadcast the world’s first live 3D ballet. The performance of Swan Lake, starring Yekaterina Kondaurova and Timur Askerov in the lead roles, was conducted by Valery Gergiev, and at the time streamed to many cinemas around the globe. There were also parallel broadcasts in 2D. Australian balletophiles however, as tends to be the case, have had to wait until August to catch the event. But the wait is nearly over Limelight readers have an opportunity to jump the queues with four double passes to give away.

Worldwide reviews were excellent. “Predictably, though, it was the lakeside scenes, with their hallucinogenic patterns created by the 32 swans, that most benefited from 3D, intensifying perspective and clarity”, said London’s Indepedent while the New Staesman added, “by digitally opening its doors to the masses like this, the Mariinsky is sharing a piece of ballet’s history with everyone who can afford the price of a cinema ticket. And given that you can even see the dancers’ facial expressions and the details of the magnificent costumes and sets, you’ve arguably got the best seat in the house.”

James Cameron (director of Avatar and Titanic) and Vince Pace have provided...