Dracula
Dancers Sarah Chun & Logan Pachciarz.
Photo Steve Wilson
KCBalletMedia
QUICK F A C T S
- ✦ Premiere (Michael Pink Version): 1997
✦ Inspired By: Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker
✦ Choreography: Michael Pink
✦ Music: Arranged by Philip Feeney using works by Franz Liszt and other nineteenth-century composers
✦ Setting: Victorian England and Transylvania
✦ Status: One of the world's most frequently performed Gothic story ballets.
Kansas City Ballet Dancers.Photo: Steve Wilson.
S U M M A R Y
Dracula is a full-length Gothic ballet inspired by Bram Stoker's classic 1897 novel. While several choreographers have adapted the famous vampire tale, the most widely performed modern version was created by Michael Pink in 1997, with a dramatic score arranged by Philip Feeney. Combining classical technique with theatrical storytelling, the ballet has become a favorite of companies around the world, especially during the Halloween season, and is celebrated for its cinematic atmosphere, elaborate sets, and unforgettable title character.
Dancers Michael Davis & Logan Pachciarz.
Photo Steve Wilson.
Dancer Logan Pachciarz. Photo: Kenny Johnson.
KCBalletMedia
Set in Victorian England and Transylvania, the ballet follows the mysterious Count Dracula as he leaves his remote castle in search of new victims. His growing influence threatens the lives of Mina Harker, Lucy Westenra, and those determined to stop him, including Professor Van Helsing. Through haunting pas de deux, powerful ensemble scenes, and dramatic confrontations, the ballet explores themes of temptation, fear, love, sacrifice, and the eternal struggle between good and evil.
Today, Dracula stands as one of the most successful literary-inspired ballets of the modern era. Michael Pink's production has entered the repertory of numerous ballet companies, while other choreographers have continued to reinterpret Bram Stoker's legendary novel in their own styles. By blending Gothic horror with expressive dance, Dracula proves that ballet can tell thrilling, suspenseful stories just as effectively as timeless fairy tales and romantic classics.
Dancers Tempe Ostergren & Logan Pachciarz with Kansas City Ballet dancers.
Photo Steve Wilson.
E N C O R E
✦ A Modern Gothic Classic – Michael Pink's Dracula transformed Bram Stoker's famous vampire novel into one of ballet's most successful theatrical productions, blending suspense, romance, and supernatural drama.
✦ A Halloween Favorite – With its haunting atmosphere, elaborate costumes, and dramatic staging, Dracula has become a popular seasonal production for ballet companies around the world.
✦ The Vampire on Pointe – Combining classical dance with cinematic storytelling, Dracula proves that ballet can bring even the darkest legends vividly to life.