Petrushka was created by Fokine for Nijinski, in a style that differs widely from most classical ballets.
The main roles are puppets who “come alive”, and Petrushka, in particular, is unhappy, but has a loving soul.
Petrushka is a challenging role, that requires great acting. An unchanging facial mask restricts his expression, but his
movements are also unusual for a dancer. Petrushka is, after all, a kind of automaton!
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Petrushka was one of the first leading roles Ivan Vasiliev performed.
Below, some of the few available sequences.
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You can read on Italian Ballet Forum (translation is ours, original text can be found inside this page.):
And the huge physical possibilities pushed to the limit or, conversely, completely withheld in the execution of certain passages, are even able to suggest that some emotional reactions transcend the human sphere. Ivan was one of the few interpreters of Petrushka to instill doubt that automata, masks and puppets, while they embody the soul of a person, can have a soul of their own, somewhat different from that of humans.
Petrushka was for me the critical step that paved the way to a deeper understanding of the art of Ivan Vasiliev. After the experience of Petrushka, I began to see his technical feats in a different light. It began with the vision of Spartacus: an old Ballet, they said, ancient, with disagreeable music except for one passage. I decided to see just the first act only because of Ivan. I remained chained until the end when he received noisy appreciation from the audience and a standing ovation.
But the surprising thing is that even in the case of the technical prowess of Spartacus, it confirmed the findings in Petrushka. For blatant though they were, they were never an empty display of ability. All of them were used to impart the moods of the gladiator. All had a meaning, a reason and a strong interpretative value.”
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No single movement is ever meaningless in Ivan’s dancing!
Of Ivan’s Instagram, vasiliev.art
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For die-hard fans, here is a link to four short promotional videos, recorded in rehearsals and first performance, linked together. When you come to the end of one, just wait some 10 seconds, and the next will start.
IVAN VASILIEV 
