MMM | Rudolf Nureyev's Swan Lake

This version of Tchaikovsky's ballet classic story would go on to make Rudolf Nureyev the dance icon of the 20th century.

An incredible 89 curtain calls is a testament to the ballet history written at the Vienna State Opera on 15 October 1964. The event is a performance of Swan Lake choreographed by Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who also took on the male lead role of the Prince – all at just 26 years of age.

His partner is 45-year-old British prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn. Less than two hours later, the world-famous love story ends not with the traditional happy ending but with the death of the Prince. His version of Tchaikovsky's ballet classic story would make Rudolf Nureyev the dance icon of the 20th century.

In his novel interpretation of Swan Lake, Nureyev revolutionises the role of the male dancer: no longer content to be the mere porteur, a “hoist” for the prima ballerina, he seeks to be her equal counterpart. And so he places the male role at the very heart of the dance fairy tale.

This film includes the painstakingly restored 4K version of the legendary ballet recording, while the documentary passages with Nureyev reveal his exceptional and fascinating personality. Former dancers and companions, including Charles Jude, Marie-Claude Pietragalla, and biographer Julie Kavanagh, all have their own personal memories of the iconic figure. Michael Birkmeyer and Gisela Cech, who danced alongside Nureyev at the premiere of Swan Lake, take stock of this unforgettable evening of dance, while young artists such as Polina Semionova, Eric Gauthier, and Kirill Serebrennikov, look back at Nureyev and his work from the perspective of today.

Duration 43 min / 52 min
Author Anne-Kathrin Peitz
Producer Claus Wischmann, Maximilian Geschke
Executive Producer Christopher Janssen
English title of music work "Swan Lake", Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Production Company ZDF/Arte, sounding images, 2023