McMillan ballet premieres in Moscow

The ballet Mayerling by British choreographer Kenneth McMillan will premiere in Moscow on Friday.

The Moscow Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Dachenko Theatre has re-created the original version of the ballet, which was created by McMillan for the Royal Ballet, London, in 1978.

The ballet is about the mysterious and tragic death of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary.

The Russian audience will see a three-act drama with the participation of a host of characters and reflecting the spirit of the day through sumptuous scenery and costumes.

The viewers will admire the luxurious interiors of Hofburg Palace, Vienna, where the action takes place, will marvel at the posh ball in connection with the prince’s wedding, and will cry over the scene at a hunting lodge at Mayerling, where Rudolf and his lover were found dead.

Lead dancer Sergei Polunin will play Rudolf in the first performance of the ballet, RIA reports.