Rasputin – A Sophisticated Dance Drama In Singapore

For the first time in Singapore, ballet superstar Sergei Polunin dances the role of the mystic Grigori Rasputin, whose mysterious influence over the Russian royal family did so much to bring down the Romanov dynasty. The bad boy of ballet’s performance of one of the most controversial figures in Russian history cum career-defining role is not to be missed. Born in poverty in Ukraine, he won a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School in London at 13, joined the company at 16, and, at 19, became its youngest-ever principal dancer. Two years later, in 2012, he abruptly walked out, complaining about ballet’s punishing discipline and inadequate financial rewards. He wanted a normal life, but also fame, perhaps a movie career. He swiftly re-emerged in Russia, dancing with the Stanislavsky Music Theatre, and has gone on to develop a parallel career as an actor, appearing in films like Murder on the Orient Express. He has also reached a new audience on YouTube through the viral video Take Me To Church.

Polunin stars in this dance drama exploring the ambivalence between power and weakness, good and evil. Rasputin explores the title character’s complex psychology and moral ambivalence, and his catastrophic effect on the Russian court on a set modelled on a chessboard.

Tickets: SG$90 onwards. Available through SISTIC.