The Red Shoes (Modern)
The red shoes have become one of ballet's most enduring symbols, representing the powerful pull of ambition, desire, and the sacrifices demanded by art.
QUICK F A C T S
- ✦ The Red Shoes was choreographed by Matthew Bourne and premiered in 2016 for his company, New Adventures. It is based on the celebrated 1948 film The Red Shoes, which was itself inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of the same name.
✦ The story follows aspiring ballerina Victoria Page, who is torn between her love for composer Julian Craster and her devotion to dance, forcing her to choose between art and personal happiness.
✦ Unlike the original film, which used a score by Brian Easdale, Bourne's ballet is set to music by Bernard Herrmann, adapted and orchestrated by Terry Davies from several of Herrmann's film scores.
✦ The ballet's fictional dance company was inspired by the legendary Ballets Russes of Serge Diaghilev, and the production includes visual and stylistic references to famous early twentieth-century ballets.
✦ The Red Shoes won the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family Show, while Matthew Bourne received the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for the production.
Advertisement for a theatrical production of The Red Shoes, based on Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale. The story would later inspire some of the most famous dance films and ballets of the twentieth century.
S U M M A R Y
The Red Shoes began as a fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1845. The story follows a young girl named Karen, whose beautiful red shoes become the source of an irresistible obsession. When vanity and desire lead her to value the shoes above all else, she is cursed to dance without rest. Blending fantasy, morality, and tragedy, Andersen's tale became one of his most enduring stories and introduced a powerful symbol that would resonate far beyond the world of children's literature.
Original flyer for the film "The Red Shoes." (1948) Collection at Ailina Dance Archives, commons.
Publicity still from the 1948 film The Red Shoes, starring ballerina Moira Shearer. The film was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale and, in turn, inspired many ballet adaptations after its release. Moira Shearer's own story was so compelling that it became the subject of the 2022 film Òran na h-Eala.
More than a century later, the story inspired the celebrated 1948 film The Red Shoes, directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Starring ballerina Moira Shearer, the film transformed Andersen's cautionary tale into a drama about the conflict between artistic ambition and personal happiness. Widely regarded as one of the greatest dance films ever made, it introduced generations of audiences to ballet and helped establish the red shoes as a lasting symbol of passion, dedication, and sacrifice. The film's influence inspired numerous stage adaptations, including productions that continue to appear today, such as New England Ballet Theatre's The Red Shoes in 2024.
The legacy of The Red Shoes did not end with Andersen's fairy tale or the famous film. In 2022, Moira Shearer's remarkable life became the subject of Òran na h-Eala (Song of the Swan), a film that reflected on the ballerina whose performance had become inseparable from the legend of the red shoes. From a nineteenth-century fairy tale to a classic film, from ballet adaptations to a film celebrating the dancer who brought the story to life, The Red Shoes has continued to inspire artists and audiences across generations.
Shannon Davidson as Moira Shearer in Òran na h-Eala (Song of the Swan). Shearer's career linked the worlds of ballet and cinema through her unforgettable performance in the 1948 film The Red Shoes. Photo: Full Bodied Productions, commons.
E N C O R E
✦ On Today's Stage — The Red Shoes continues to inspire ballet companies, filmmakers, and audiences around the world. New productions, including New England Ballet Theatre's 2024 adaptation, demonstrate the story's enduring appeal and its ability to speak to new generations of dancers.
✦ Iconic Interpreters — Moira Shearer became forever associated with The Red Shoes through her unforgettable performance in the 1948 film. Her portrayal helped define the image of the ballerina in popular culture and introduced countless viewers to the world of dance.
✦ Legacy — Few stories have traveled so far across artistic mediums. From Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale to a landmark film, from ballet adaptations to Òran na h-Eala, a film inspired by Moira Shearer's life, The Red Shoes remains a powerful symbol of artistic passion, ambition, and sacrifice.