Vogue Singapore – “To the ballet, we go. With Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest, there is no reason not to” ★★★★★

It begins with the plight of one man; his immortality, a maddening prison of his own making. Bram Stoker’s Dracula has always been a cautionary tale—its many iterations and adaptations retelling the aftermath and psychosis of the man-turned-vampire who has condemned himself to a lifetime of despair. Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 classic gave the Count a reason behind his monster; a tragic tale of love, and his inability to cope with the death of his dear Elisabeta. Led by grief, it is a tale of obsession that spirals out of control, and a love that poisons just as much as it bleeds—first and foremost affecting the lives of Jonathan and Mina Harker, Van Helsing, and Lucy when he meets them centuries later. 

At its core is a classic tale that wrote the blueprint for the genres of gothic horror and dark romance. And it is here that Big Live Entertainment’s Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest finds its way to us. Within the confines of a narrative that is unfamiliar to none, the revered dance form unveils a haunting excavation of the beloved tale. You might ask: without the dialogue, without the action, where does the story take shape? 

“We were most interested in showing the moments no other medium lingers on—the seconds before violence, the stillness inside obsession, the way desire and dread can occupy a body at exactly the same time,” explains Joel Burke, artistic director and choreographer of Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest. 

Without missing a beat, the ballet does exactly that. Enrapturing the audience every step of the way, the plot is distilled to something rather simple, yet still of Dracula’s essence. A just-married Jonathan and Mina slip into the Count’s castle during their honeymoon, Count D lurks in the shadows as he believes Mina to be Elisabeta’s reincarnation, and his marvellous ghosts—with their rickety, uncanny movements—dance in the shadows, cause the first rift, and tear them apart forever. At times, there are wonderfully staged ensembles embroiled in fanciful costumes, at others, a chill is sent down our spines as we witness the eerie congruency of Count D’s ghost quadrant. There are the anguished movements of the production’s tormented men: the vampire, and a bloodthirsty Jonathan, the newborn who fails to resist his bride. And then there is the beautiful Mina, the very epitome of grace herself. 

By reimagining and watering down much of the original plot, the ballet tackles its emotional heart: one that is ridden with anguish and grief; desire and desperation; obsession and madness. It is furnished by lavish touches—a well-executed score, dramatic sets and immaculate lighting—which colour the production and brings it back from the dead. 

And in doing so, it also does one splendid thing. It distills the ballet to its gripping essence: of sheer, sensual beauty.

Below, a conversation with Burke, as well as Khalid Tarabay, executive director of Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest, as they discuss the enchanting reimagining of a literary classic—and bridging the gap that has long alienated the dance form from the masses. 

By Azrin Tan

Read the complete review here – https://vogue.sg/dracula-ballet-singapore/