During his birthday’s celebration, Prince Siegfried must choose a bride. Trying to escape reality, he dreams of a perfect love. His tutor tries to bring him down to Earth and reminds him of his duties. On a dreamlike getaway, the prince meets Odette, a princess who has been transformed into a swan by the powerful sorcerer Rothbart. Only true love can break the spell. Captivated, Siegfried promises Odette to save her and invites her to his party. To trap the prince, the sorcerer sends his daughter Odile, disguised as Odette, to seduce him.

In Restoration-era France, the ambitious Julien Sorel rises through society thanks to his intelligence, charm, and determination. Torn between Madame de Rênal and Mathilde de La Mole, he becomes entangled in passionate affairs, political intrigue, and religious conflict that ultimately shape his tragic fate. Inspired by Stendhal's classic novel, Pierre Lacotte transforms Le Rouge et le Noir into a grand three-act ballet set to an anthology of music by Jules Massenet.