Rudolf Nureyev as the Prince in The Nutcracker with Jennifer Penney as Clara November 1974
Ballet in two acts adapted from Alexandre Dumas – Music : Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovski – Choreography : Rudolf Noureev d’après Marius Petipa et Lev Ivanov – Visit the Nureyev
The Nutcracker was created on the 18th December 1892 at the Maryinski Theatre in Saint-Petersburg. Rudolf Nureyev staged The Nutcracker for the first time in November 1967 for the Royal Swedish Ballet following the request of Erick Bruhn. This version was to be revived several times in London, Milan, Buenos Aires and Berlin.
The original libretto by Alexandre Dumas was completely revised by Nureyev who gave his version of The Nutcracker a psychoanalytic dimension: Drosselmeyer and the Prince are one and the same person, representing the ideal man dreamt up by the heroine, ready to leave her childhood and become a teenager. Rudolf Noureev & Merle Park in Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” Grand Pas de Deux.
In 1988, Rudolf, produced a filmed production of the ballet with Elisabeth Maurin in the role of Clara, and with Laurent Hilaire playing Drosselmeyer.
Collection at theCentre National du Costume de Scène