Rudolf Nureyev and his legacy

The return of the Festival Deauville sur Pointes continues Deauville's long and distinguished history with the world's greatest dance performers. The 2026 edition begins at Les Franciscaines on Friday, continues at the Théâtre du Casino on Saturday, then on Les Planches de Deauville on Sunday.

An exceptional artistic level with the participation of Maria Kochetkova, former Bolshoi student turned principal dancer of the American Ballet Theater, as well as the possible participation of Olga Smirnova, ex-Bolshoi dancer, who left her mark on the first Russian Art Festival in Deauville, and who has taken refuge since the invasion of Ukraine, at the National Ballet in Amsterdam.

This summer of 2026 also takes on special significance with the 65th anniversary of the start of Rudolf Nureyev's Western career, which began in Deauville in August 1961. The inclusion of this tribute gives the festival a historical dimension. Ariane Dollfus, author of Nureyev's seminal biography, the only one translated into Russian, gives a groundbreaking lecture at Les Franciscaines on the legacy of Rudolf Nureyev, 33 years after his death in Paris at the age of 54.