Breathtaking, seductive and darkly beautiful, Dracula: Ballet at Its Darkest is a thrilling reimagining of Bram Stoker’s gothic tale, told through powerful ballet, haunting music and bold visual storytelling.
From the moment the curtain rises, we are drawn into a world of darkness, desire and danger. The stark gothic set and dramatic lighting create the feeling that something sinister is always waiting in the shadows.
Before he becomes the terrifying figure we know, we meet Dracula as a man deeply in love. When the woman he loves is taken from him, grief and anger transform him into Dracula. He is not simply a monster, but a man shaped by unbearable loss and condemned to carry that pain through time.
The story then moves to the wedding of Mina and Jonathan, one of the production’s most mesmerising scenes. Bursting with colour, movement and pure joy, it beautifully establishes their love and happiness.
The ensemble sweeps across the stage in flowing, brightly coloured dresses, creating a striking contrast against the dark gothic background. The frills, energy and group dancing are absolutely captivating. That happiness makes the darkness that follows even more dramatic.
When Dracula sees Mina, danced beautifully by Abbey Hansen, she reminds him of the woman he lost. He becomes consumed by the possibility that his great love has somehow returned to him.
Ervin Zagidullin is powerful as Dracula. Strong, imposing and frightening, his commanding presence changes the atmosphere whenever he appears. Beneath that power is a man tortured by grief, loneliness and obsessive love. He is both the monster to fear and the broken man still searching for the woman he lost.
Hansen brings softness, grace and emotional strength to Mina as she is drawn further into Dracula’s world. Her journey through fear, temptation and inner conflict is beautiful to watch.
Mina’s husband, Jonathan Harker, is performed by the production’s choreographer, Joel Burke. His connection with Mina brings warmth and tenderness as she becomes caught between the love she knows and a mysterious force she cannot completely resist.
The Ghosts, performed by Janae Kerr, Giselle Osborne, Alyssa Park and Mia Zanardo, are another unforgettable highlight. Creepy, seductive and hauntingly beautiful, they glide across the stage with eerie precision. You know they are dangerous, but you cannot look away.
The ballet itself is breathtaking. There is a beautiful balance between strength and softness, with powerful lifts, sweeping turns and moments of delicate control. Dracula’s movements are forceful and commanding, while Mina moves with grace, vulnerability and growing emotional intensity. Jonathan brings warmth and strength, and the ensemble performs with incredible energy and precision.
Whether the dancers are celebrating, seducing, fighting or surrendering to the darkness, every movement carries the story forward. The sheer physicality, power and beauty of the dancing are mesmerising to watch.
The production’s use of colour is simple but bold. White represents beauty and innocence, darkness consumes Dracula’s world, and red signals danger, passion, blood and power.
Choreographed by Joel Burke, the production combines classical ballet with cinematic energy. The haunting score, led by Emmy Award-winning composer Jason Fernandez and featuring music by Bach, Rachmaninov, Mozart, Liszt, Mussorgsky, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns and Debussy, gives the production an epic sense of scale.
Powerful, haunting and visually spectacular, Dracula: Ballet at Its Darkest is a breathtaking night at the theatre.
The dancing is mesmerising. The imagery is unforgettable. The darkness completely consumes you.
Review by Craig Lawson
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
📍 Her Majesty’s Theatre, 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
📅 10 to 19 September and 1 to 25 October 2026
⏱ Approximately 2 hours, including a 20-minute interval
🎟 Tickets from $60
Presented by BIG Live in association with United Airlines.
Tickets: Her Majesty’s Theatre https://hmt.com.au/dracula-ballet-at-its-darkest/
