The opening night of ballet The Nutcracker thrilled the audience in Zagreb: standing ovations and extraordinary media coverageBallet — 23. November 2025.
On Friday, November 21, 2025, the premiere of P. I. Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker took place on the stage of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, in one of the most demanding versions in the history of ballet art, choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev, a version that is performed at the Paris Opera and La Scala. The Croatian audience first saw this ballet in Zagreb in 1931, choreographed by Margarita Froman, and on Friday a new chapter opened in this long tradition.
The new production brought luxurious theatrical magic, extremely demanding choreography and a visual world that brought the fairy tale about the girl Clara and her dream back to the spirit of bygone times. The audience rewarded the ensemble with a standing ovation lasting several minutes, confirming that the Zagreb premiere was experienced with enthusiasm and strong emotions.
Reactions from the media, audience and critics continue to arrive. Among the first to be published was a review by Bojana Radović in Večernji list, which emphasizes that: “(…) the new ‘Nutcracker’ stands out with its extremely difficult choreography… and its unique, enchanting visual image that takes the fairy tale back to some bygone era,” adding that “the Ballet of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb has an ensemble capable of performing this demanding choreography… here, the group dance choreographies really fill the entire stage.” She emphasizes that: “(…) the new ‘Nutcracker’ is very modern… but fairy-tale enough to delight all young and old spectators.” Radović highlights the faithful reproduction of Nureyev’s choreography by Aleth Francillon and Charles Jude, with the support of the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation. She also gives great credit to the ballet masters, who, according to her, have raised the bar of excellence for great classical ballets in the central Croatian theatre.
Jana Haluza writes for Jutarnji list that this is "The Nutcracker for a new era", and that "such bravura has never been seen in our country before" and adds: "The audience's trust in our central national theatre has been unquestionable for years, and here the choreographer is well-known to everyone, the iconic ballet artist Rudolf Nureyev". She highlights: "…two equally brilliant married and professional dancing couples perform, Iva Vitić Gameiro and Guilherme Gameiro Alves, and Rieka Suzuki and Takuya Sumitomo, who embody the pinnacles of Nureyev's art."
This season, the audience will be able to see 21 performances of The Nutcracker, and on December 23, a live broadcast will be organized on a large screen in front of the Theatre, thus bringing the traditional holiday story of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb closer to as many citizens as possible.
“Once again, I congratulate the entire ensemble, Ballet, Orchestra and Opera Chorus, the artistic team and the hardworking employees of the technical department on an exceptional premiere. We are certain that this production will live on in our repertoire for a long time, and that the loyal audience will continue to reward the artists with ovations of true joy and gratitude,” emphasized the general manager Dr. Iva Hraste-Sočo.
