A Divergent Dracula

Unlike the bloodthirsty monster of many “Dracula” ballets, Carolina Ballet's new production frames the title character as a tragic figure with some classic story-ballet Prince qualities. The approach was one of several refreshingly unusual aspects of the ballet, based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, including making the Renfield and Van Helsing characters women in it.

Performance

Carolina Ballet: “Dracula” by Zalman Raffael

Place

Fletcher Opera Theater, Raleigh, NC, October 15, 2026

Words

Steve Sucato

Kiefer Curtis and Madeline Rogers in Zalman Raffael's “Dracula.” Photograph by Joshua Dwight

Choreographed by Carolina Ballet artistic director and CEO Zalman Raffael and set to a well-composed original score by Aaron Severini, the three-act ballet began with a prologue inspired by Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 film adaptation, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It established the central character as a man driven by circumstance and profound loss, who transforms into a ruthless vampire.

The prologue told of sixteenth-century Prince Vlad (who becomes Dracula), on the eve of his marriage to Elisabeta, being called to war to defend the Church and entrusting three priests with Elisabeta's safety. A medieval battlefield scene followed, with the heroic Prince, portrayed by Kiefer Curtis, dispatching several soldiers before the story switched back to Elisabeta and her three bridesmaids, who received false word of his death.

Uma Deming was convincing as the bereft Elisabeta, who ends up taking her own life. Her heartfelt, adroit dancing in Raffael's emotional choreography was among the production's best. After his return from war, Prince Vlad, angered and feeling betrayed by the church over Elisabeta's suicide, like Star Wars' Anakin Skywalker on his path to becoming Darth Vader, went on a killing spree (including the priests) and gave himself over to the dark side to become Dracula.

Kiefer Curtis and Madeline Rogers in Zalman Raffael's “Dracula.” Photograph by Joshua Dwight

Act One of the ballet then picks up Stoker's familiar tale with London land agent Jonathan Harker (Branden Hart), who leaves his fiancée, Mina (Amanda Gerhardt), behind and travels to Transylvania to discuss business with Dracula. There, Harker encounters Romani travelers who warn him of the castle's dangers, but to no avail, and Dracula welcomes him into the castle.

At times more creepy than scary, Curtis's portrayal of Dracula felt more emotionally complex than other versions I've seen. The ballet's real fright factor came from a scene featuring a trio of Elisabeta's former bridesmaids, now Dracula's brides. Saskia De Muinick Keiser, Anna Ingold, and Sofia Rose Peetoom were horror-film-level scary-brilliant as the wild-haired, sharp-fanged, undead who stalked and nearly devoured Harker.

After escaping them and the castle, Hart as Harker had his best dancing moment: an expressively danced solo filled with clean jumps, leaps, and turns. The first act also featured a fabulous performance by Alyssa Pilger as crazed asylum inmate Renfield, who wildly jumped all over Noah Sanchez as Dr. Seward. She, along with a trio of bewildered fellow female inmates, provided comic relief to the dark ballet.

After being introduced at a ball to Mina's friend Lucy (Madeline Rogers) and her fiancé Arthur (Thomas Kingsbury), Act Two continued the story with Lucy being entranced and turned into a vampire by Dracula, and then hunted down and killed by Arthur, Jonathan, Mina, and determined vampire hunter Van Helsing, portrayed fabulously by Mia Domani.

Alyssa Pilger, Josephine Bommer, Elizabeth Burnett and Gabby Tulleners in Zalman Raffael's “Dracula.” Photograph by Joshua Dwight

Rogers was captivating as the vulnerable Lucy before being bitten and as the evil child-stalking vampire afterward. Kingsbury also delivered a notable performance as Arthur, torn between his love for Lucy and his duty to end her life as a vampire. Act Two concluded with Dracula, like Don Quixote in search of his Dulcinea, envisioning Mina as his Elisabeta and using his supernatural powers to seduce her into becoming his next vampire bride, only to have her rescued at the last moment.

In Act Three, Harker and friends journey to Dracula's castle and use Mina as bait to draw him out so they can kill him and free Mina from his spell. Here, Raffael leans hard into Dracula as a misunderstood figure. After Mina seemingly scolds and sends away her companions who seek to ruthlessly kill Dracula, Gerhardt and Curtis deliver a tender pas de deux à la Romeo and Juliet, but here Juliet, duty-bound, drives a stake through Romeo's heart.

Seemingly taking forever to die, Dracula then begs Mina to finish him off with a nearby knife so he can join his beloved Elisabeta. The ballet ends with Dracula restored to Prince Vlad, and a resplendent Elisabeta, costumed in shimmering gold and white, reuniting with him in the afterlife.

Carolina Ballet's “Dracula” was a solidly entertaining production overall, with strong dancing, choreography, and music. It was letdown, however, by the minimalist set design and odd projections, which cheapened the production. As North Carolina's largest ballet company with 50 dancers, expectations were higher.

Steve Sucato

Steve Sucato is a former dancer turned arts writer/critic living in Cleveland, Ohio. His writing credits include articles and reviews on dance and the arts for the Plain Dealer, Buffalo News, Erie Times-News, Dance Magazine, Pointe, Dance International, and web publications Critical Dance, DanceTabs (London). Steve is chairman emeritus of the Dance Critics Association and the creator of the arts website artsair.art.

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