The Mariinsky Ballet has a remarkable, unbroken legacy of performances of “Swan Lake” ever since its 1895 classic version premiered in St. Petersburg to Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s beloved score. That undisturbed lineage has led to dancing of unparalleled nuance and delicacy, even though changes were made to the original steps (by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov) over the years, including a happy ending tacked on in 1950. When the Mariinsky Ballet and Orchestra returned to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts with “Swan Lake” (Oct. 2-7, 2012), photographer Michael Khoury was there. This selection of photos from opening night demonstrates the purity of style and the excitement produced by lead dancers Oxana Skorik, as the enchanted swan-maiden Odette, and Vladimir Schklyarov, as lovelorn Prince Siegfried.–Photography by Michael Khoury.