Commuters in Antwerp were treated to a surprise recital of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake by 48 dancers from The Shanghai Ballet, who performed a couple of scenes in the hall of Central Station during the Monday morning rush hour.

Onlookers described the spectacle – which was put on to boost ticket sales for the show which opens in October – as “impressive” and “wonderful”.

This morning in Central Station, Antwerp#zwanenmeer #swanlake #stadsschouwburg pic.twitter.com/RVs1GJuQC0— Bikeloveantwerp (@BikeLoveAntwerp) 18 September 2017


Jasper Gasia, a spokesman for The Greatest Swan Lake in the World, said: “It’s a timeless story. It is about an impossible love, a bit like the attraction between Romeo and Juliet. And this combined with those wonderful white swans, all flapping their wings. It’s so fairytale-like.”

The Shanghai Ballet’s performance will be the largest recital of Swan Lake in history with 80 dancers.

It was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 140 years ago and remains one of the most popular ballets.