Stravinsky Stories

Creative Team

Synopsis

THE FAIRY’S KISS
The Fairy’s Kiss is Alexei Ratmansky’s celebrated reimagining of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet score, itself inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Ice-Maiden.” In Ratmansky’s version, the work becomes a layered meditation on fate, love, and artistic inheritance, blending narrative clarity with the stylized wit and musical precision that define his choreographic voice. 

At the centre of the ballet is a young man marked from childhood by a mysterious encounter with a fairy. What appears at first to be a moment of grace becomes an inescapable imprint on his life. The fairy’s kiss binds him to a destiny that is both beautiful and cruel, shaping his relationships, his sense of self, and ultimately the course of his life. As he grows into adulthood, he attempts to build a human love that might offer freedom from the enchantment, but the past continues to surface in ways he cannot fully control. 

Ratmansky frames the narrative through a theatrical lens, drawing on 19th-century ballet traditions while subtly destabilizing them. Classical structures, pantomime, and period-inspired choreography are infused with modern rhythmic complexity and psychological depth. The result is a work that feels both familiar and unsettled, like a memory just out of reach. 

Stravinsky’s score anchors the ballet with its shimmering lyricism and intricate structure, allowing Ratmansky to explore shifts between innocence and inevitability, playfulness and melancholy. The fairy is not simply a character but a force that hovers over the entire work, shaping every gesture and turning point. 

The Fairy’s Kiss ultimately reflects on the cost of enchantment and the tension between destiny and free will. It asks what remains of a life when love, art, and fate are indistinguishably bound together, and whether liberation is possible once one has been “kissed” by something larger than oneself. 

FIREBIRD
Set within the towering headquarters of Kastchei HQ, a powerful corporation driven by ambition, productivity, and control, Firebird reimagines the beloved folktale in a contemporary world where success comes at a cost.

When a young employee named Ivan finds himself working late into the night on an impossible assignment, an unexpected encounter transforms the course of his life. Deep within the glow of the office, he discovers the mysterious Firebird, a rare and extraordinary species believed to be captured only by those with immense wealth and power. But the Firebird is no ordinary creature. She has been held captive by Kastschei, hidden away inside his headquarters, and is desperate to escape.

Before disappearing, she leaves Ivan with a single feather and a promise: should he ever need her, she will return.

As a new day begins, Ivan finds connection and hope in Kat, a young secretary whose kindness offers a glimpse of a life beyond the demands of corporate life. But looming over them is Kastchei, the ruthless leader of Kastchei HQ, whose influence extends far beyond the office walls. As Ivan is drawn deeper into Kastchei’s world, he must confront the forces that seek to control not only his future, but the lives of everyone around him.

Blending fantasy, romance, and social satire, Firebird explores the tension between power and freedom, conformity and individuality, and asks what it truly means to break free from the systems that define us. Inspired by the Russian folktale and set to Stravinsky’s iconic score, this contemporary reimagining celebrates the enduring power of courage, compassion, and human connection. 

Origins

THE FAIRY’S KISS

Premiered in 2017 with Miami City Ballet. A one-act homage to Tchaikovsky, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Ice-Maiden. Set to Igor Stravinsky’s The Fairy’s Kiss

FIREBIRD

A new creation commissioned for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, premiering in 2026. Set to Igor Stravinsky’s The Fire Bird (1910).