Nureyev, a new ballet about the life of Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev, has returned to the stage after its cancellation in Russia. The 2017 premiere of the production, composed, choreographed, and directed by Russian artists, was initially delayed for several months due to the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
The ballet was officially removed from the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 2023, and increased LGBTQ+ restrictions in Russia have prevented the show from reopening. However, Nureyev officially returned to the stage on March 21 with the Staatsballett in Berlin.
Rudolf Nureyev was a world-renowned LGBTQ+ ballet dancer and choreographer throughout the 20th century. He died in 1993 due to AIDS-related complications, and the ballet explores queer-related events and themes Nureyev encountered throughout the different stages of his life.
Within the past 20 years, Russia has consistently expanded anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and removed protections for its queer citizens. A 2013 amendment added ‘non-traditional sexual relationships’ as a class of harmful content to a previous amendment focused on protecting children from inappropriate media. This amendment laid the groundwork for heavier restrictions instituted in 2022 and 2023, which effectively outlawed all depictions of homosexual and transgender themes.
Kirill Serebrennikov, Nureyev’s director, has spent the last three years adjusting the ballet to bring it to Germany. Serebrennikov’s name was removed from the 2017 production’s playbills just before it was cancelled altogether because of his criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Nureyev frequently fought against limitations placed on him in both professional and personal settings. The ballet dancer broke rules such as interacting with strangers and attending gay bars during a trip to Paris, which eventually caused him to seek asylum in France, fearing a return to Russia would result in his arrest. Nureyev’s defection in 1961 was particularly influential because the Cold War was at its peak.
Nureyev sold out all twelve of its 2026 performances, but tickets will go on sale for eight more 2027 performances on May 8.
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