Dracula
About the Ballet
Set in 1462, the ballet begins as Count Dracula leaves his new bride to defend his homeland against invading Turks. When a false message of his death leads his wife to take her own life, he renounces the Church and transforms into a vampire. Four centuries later, Dracula becomes infatuated with Mina after seeing her resemblance to his lost love. He lures her to his castle by imprisoning her fiancé, Jonathan, and forging a letter in his name.
At the castle, Mina is drawn into Dracula’s eerie world of servants and mysterious brides. As danger grows, she seeks help from her friend Lucy and Dr. Van Helsing. What follows is a tense struggle between darkness and those determined to save her, as Dracula’s obsession with Mina intensifies.
History of Dracula
Dracula, the ballet, is inspired by the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker and was first brought to the stage in 1996 by British choreographer Michael Pink. The following year, in honor of the novel’s 100th anniversary, it made its U.S. premiere as a co-production between the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Houston Ballet. Since then, it has captivated audiences as an unforgettable blend of darkness and desire, where romance and terror collide on stage.
Choreographers: Norbe Risco, Rafaela Risco, Merrell Fuson, Kelly Sikorski, and Richard Powers
Costumes: Rafaela Risco and Yumi Kimura
Music: Bernard, Donizetti, Shostakovich, Meyerbeer, Delibes, Glazunov, Morris & Kilar
Run Time: about 2 hours and 30 minutes with 2 intermissions
