Nureyev

The multi-award winning ballet Nureyev, choreographed by Yuri Possokhov, composed by Ilya Demutsky and staged by visionary director Kirill Serebrennikov, premiered in December 2017 at the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Even before the premiere, the work attracted international attention. Now, for the first time, the Staatsballett Berlin is bringing this extraordinary production to the stage outside of Russia. Ballet, opera and drama, including an extensive ensemble, merge in this large-scale work of art into an impressive homage to the life and career of Rudolf Nureyev, one of the greatest dancers of the 20th century. His artistic brilliance and his unconventional character in crossing social and political borders made him an icon of ballet and the art world. The action unfolds along an intricately staged re-enactment of an auction, in which Nureyev's personal belongings are auctioned off. Yuri Possokhov and Kirill Serebrennikov combine classical and modern aesthetics in haunting scenes from Nureyev's life: from his extraordinary career in the Soviet Union to his spectacular escape to the West and his formative influence on the Western ballet scene. His relationships and the open presentation of his homosexuality also find space. Yuri Possokhov's breathtaking choreography is a complex artistic reflection on Nureyev's personality and work, reviving the classical ballet repertoire and zeitgeist of this era. The rich movement material from the Russian ballet tradition places the highest technical and acting demands on the ensemble. Following the celebrated premiere in Russia, the work was highly praised for its emotional depth and visual power — and at the same time heavily discussed. As a result of the stricter LGBTQ laws in 2022, Nureyev disappeared...