Research Symposium

BIO

Brianna Auguste is a second-year student at Florida State University, majoring in Psychology with minors in both criminology and neuroscience. Brianna is interested in gaining her PhD in clinical psychology. Through her love of research and writing Brianna hopes to use her creative skills in her future work as a therapist.

Pop Culture Movements: Swan Lake Unfolded

Abstract

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is one of the most prolific ballets in modern history. With themes of duality, love, and power, the story is applicable to all aspects of popular culture. We examined examples of Swan Lake references in streaming TV shows— “Ted Lasso”, “Bridgerton”, and the “Handmaid’s Tale”—to deepen understanding of the thematic connection between modern popular culture and ballet history. We primarily used resource curation from popular culture and discourse analysis to formulate conclusions about how Swan Lake has shaped the consumption of streaming television. Supplemental research about archival ballet histories also contributed to our findings. Preliminary results have demonstrated that Swan Lake appears in “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Bridgerton” both intentionally and unintentionally to highlight the performance of femininity, the coexistence of opposing traits within individuals, and the restriction of choreography. Further research needs to be done to thoroughly examine the presence of Swan Lake in “Ted Lasso.” This study found that Swan Lake’s cultural influence extends beyond ballet, shaping visual and narrative approaches in contemporary media. The findings point to the suggestion that almost every consumer of popular culture has interacted with media that draws inspiration from Swan Lake.

Keywords: Swan Lake Unfolded