Petroushka
Igor Stravinsky. 

Stravinsky’s Petroushka is a sparkling dance work with an interesting mix of unrequited love and violence. As with most ballets, the story is a complex one! It follows the story of 3 puppets - Petroushka, a ballerina and a moor, all of  whom come to life. Petroushka is in love with the ballerina who in turn is in love with the moor. All sorts of colourful characters fill the piece – a dancing bear, gypsies and masqueraders but the main focus in on Petroushka whose love, jealousy and demise are told within the music.

Scene I
A showman comes to the Shrove tide fair (St. Petersburg) and the opening curtain reveals three puppets : Petrushka, the ballerina and the blackamoor. The showman charms them to life with his flute and they dance on their hooks. Then, to the astonishment of the crowds, they come away from their little theatre and dance among the crowds.

Scene II (In Petrushka's cell)
Petrushka is seen in his cell. He resents how ugly he is and sees himself as an outsider. He is bitter about how dependent he is on his master. To console himself, he tries to fall in love with the ballerina, who visits him in his cell, but she is frightened by his uncouth antics. He curses the showman and throws himself around his cell in desparation.

Scene III (In the Blackamoor's Cell) 
The Blackamoor is dressed in a magnificent colored costume. The ballerina finds him attractive, although he is brutal and stupid. Their love scene is interrupted by Petrushka who is incensed with jealousy. He is thrown out by the Blackamoor.

Scene IV (The Shrove-tide fair again)
It is the evening. In the showman's theatre, all is not well. Petruska is being chased by the Blackamoor. The ballerina tries to restrain the blackamoor, but Petrushka is struck down by his sword. It begins to snow and Petrushka dies to the astonishment of the crowds. The showman reassures everyone that Petrushka is just a puppet with a wooden head and a body stuffed with sawdust, but as the night comes, the showman is astonished to see Petrushka's ghost above the roof of the little theatre.