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Die Hamburgische Staatsoper
Die Hamburgische Staatsoper
Nijinsky c) Kiran West
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Kiran West
Program → Ballet

Nijinsky

John Neumeier
The life and work of the legendary dancer Nijinsky has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for John Neumeier since his youth. In the ballet he created in 2000 about this iconic figure of dance, the focus is on the biography of a soul — interwoven with memories and associations, emotions and states of being...

Work specs

Ballet by John Neumeier

Music: Musik: Frédéric Chopin, Nikolaj Rimskij-Korsakow, Dmitri Schostakowitsch, Robert Schumann

Choreography, Set and Costume Design: John Neumeier
with partial use of the original designs by Léon Bakst and Alexandre Benois

World Premiere: Hamburg Ballett, Hamburg, July 2, 2000

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Cast

  • Choreography
    John Neumeier
  • Music
    Frédéric Chopin
    Nikolai Rimskij-Korsakow
    Dmitri Schostakowitsch
    Robert Schumann

    The Production

    • Venue Guest performance in Baden-Baden, Festspielhaus, Guest performance in Barcelona, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Main Stage
    • Duration 150 m
    • Break 1 intermission / Part 1: 65 minutes, Part 2: 60 minutes
    • Age recommendation ab 14 Jahren / Klasse 9
    "Nijinsky's life can be summarized easily: ten years of growing, ten years of learning, ten years of dancing, thirty years of darkness," biographer Richard Buckle once said. Vaslav Nijinsky, worshipped as the "God of Dance," left a lasting impression not only with his breathtaking jumps and charismatic presence but also with his choreographic work, which paved the way for modern dance. The phenomenon of Nijinsky has captivated John Neumeier since his youth. His ballet “Nijinsky”, premiered in 2000, portrays a life of extremes: Nijinsky in the spotlight as a star of the Ballets Russes, the world-renowned company under Serge Diaghilev, as well as in madness, in the shadows of his doubts and fears. John Neumeier conjures up some of the greatest roles of this unique artist, such as the Golden Slave, Petrushka, or the Faun. In contrast, the second act deals with Nijinsky's inner struggles. Under the powerful influence of Dmitri Shostakovich’s 11th Symphony, dark visions of the First World War unfold, along with the challenges that ultimately led Nijinsky to psychiatric care. John Neumeier creates a compelling tribute to Vaslav Nijinsky, whose genius is inseparably linked to his demons.
    On Tour: Baden-Baden, Barcelona − +

    Guest performance in Baden-Baden, Festspielhaus

    Fri, Oct. 03, 2025, 8.00 pm
    Sat, Oct. 04, 2025, 6.00 pm
    Sun, Oct. 05, 2025, 5.00 pm

    Tickets and information: Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

    Guest performance in Barcelona, ​​Gran Teatre del Liceu

    Sun, April 12, 2026, 6:00 PM
    Mon, April 13, 2026, 7:30 PM
    Tue, April 14, 2026, 7:30 PM
    Wed, April 15, 2026, 7:30 PM

    Tickets and information: Gran Teatre del Liceu

    Historic Data − +

    WORLD PREMIERE:
    The Hamburg Ballet, Hamburg, July 2, 2000

    ORIGINAL CAST:
    Vaslav Nijinsky: Jirí Bubenícek
    Romola Nijinsky: Anna Polikarpova
    Bronislava Nijinska: Elizabeth Loscavio
    Stanislav Nijinsky: Yukichi Hattori
    Serge Diaghilev: Ivan Urban
    Eleonora Bereda: Joëlle Boulogne
    Thomas Nijinsky: Carsten Jung
    The Ballerina, Tamara Karsavina: Heather Jurgensen
    The new dancer, Leonid Massine: Guido Warsany
    Nijinsky - The Dancer:
    as Arlequin in "Carnaval": Alexandre Riabko
    as the spirit of the rose in "Le Spectre de la rose": Alexandre Riabko
    as the Golden Slave in "Sheherazade": Otto Bubenícek
    as the Young Man in "Jeux": Guido Warsany
    as the Faun in "L'Après-midi d'un faune": Otto Bubenícek
    as Petrushka in "Petrushka": Lloyd Riggins

    ON TOUR:
    2001 Hanover 2002 Copenhagen, Baden-Baden 2003 Hong Kong, Madrid, Paris, St. Petersburg 2004 New York, Orange County (CA), Reggio Emilia, Washington 2005 Tokyo 2009 Monte-Carlo 2011 Stuttgart 2012 Beijing, Shanghai, Brisbaine 2013 Chicago, San Francisco 2017 Baden-Baden 2018 Tokyo 2020 Macao 2025 Baden-Baden

    IN THE REPERTORY:
    Semperoper Ballett
    The Australian Ballet
    The National Ballet of Canada

    Nijinsky

    John Neumeier

    • Duration 150 m
    • Break 1 intermission / Part 1: 65 minutes, Part 2: 60 minutes
    • Age recommendation ab 14 Jahren / Klasse 9

    All Dates