On March 21, 2026, the ballet Nurejew, choreographed by Yuri Possokhov, directed by Kirill Serebrennikov, and featuring music by Ilya Demutsky, will premiere outside of Russia for the first time. As a total work of art, the production combines ballet, opera, and theater and is a tribute to an exceptional artist and rebel.
Image above: David Soares and Ensemble in Nurejew Photo: Carlos Quezada
The Staatsballett Berlin Berlin presents the award-winning ballet Nurejew in its premiere on March 21, 2026, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Choreographed by Yuri Possokhov and directed by Kirill Serebrennikov, with specially composed music byIlya Demutsky, the production features 141 performers, including dancers, extras, vocal soloists, the vocal consort, a jazz band, a harpist, and an actor. Together, ballet, opera, and theater merge into this large-scale Gesamtkunstwerk, serving as a powerful homage to the life and career of Rudolf Nurejew, one of the greatest dancers of the 20th century.
Choreographer Yuri Possokhov aims not only to portray the star but also the person behind the facade: «Nurejew is a monumental figure for ballet, fundamentally changing the role of the male dancer. I wanted to highlight both his genius and his humanity, as well as show his vulnerability.»
Director Kirill Serebrennikov emphasizes Nurejew’s intensity and his drive for freedom: «It was important for me to highlight Nurejew’s passionate sense of life. He was practically obsessed with dance, working almost every day of the year without interruption. (…) For me, Rudolf Nurejew embodied true dedication to art and genuine artistic freedom.»
Composer Ilya Demutsky created a piece that blends various styles, including musical quotes from ballet classics and choreographies that Nurejew danced and staged, a jazz group evoking the Paris nightlife, and a choir quoting a Tatar lullaby: «In Nurejew, there are moments when music from different ballets plays simultaneously, without me changing a single note or even adjusting the keys.»
David Soares portrays the exceptional artist in poignant scenes from Nurejew’s life during the premiere: from his extraordinary career in the Soviet Union, through his spectacular escape to the West, to his influential impact on Western ballet. After the acclaimed world premiere in Russia in 2017, the work was removed from the Bolshoi Theatre’s program in 2022 due to the tightening of LGBTQ laws, citing that the piece violated the prohibition of propaganda «of non-traditional values.»
WHEN?
Premiere: 21. March 2026, 7.30 pm
Performances: 24., 25., 30. March 2026
01., 04., 06., 07., 12., 18., 24., 26. April 2026
WHERE?
Deutsche Oper Berlin
Bismarckstraße 35
10627 Berlin
