Shurale (Russian: Шурале; Tatar: Шүрәле) is a ballet with the music of Farid Yarullin and choreography of Leonid Jakobson, created in 1945 (later revised in 1950) for the opening of the Tatarstan Opera and Ballet Theatre and based on Tatar folklore.
Shurale, the malevolent ruler of wood spirits, captures Süimbikenote , a beautiful woman-bird, by stealing her wings. Süimbike is rescued by hunter Ali-Batyrnote and falls in love with him — but feels conflicted due to the loss of her wings, which Shurale exploits. He places the wings where she soon finds them, and, after agonizing over the decision for a while, Süimbike puts them on and flies off… right into the trap set by Shurale's ravens.
Ali-Batyr rushes to Shurale's lair and can only kill the wood spirits by setting the whole place on fire. He gives the wings to Süimbike, but she throws them into the fire and is ready to die with her beloved. Luckily, Ali-Batyr's friends arrive in time to rescue the couple.
The ballet contains examples of:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Süimbike is utterly disgusted by Shurale even before Ali-Batyr enters the picture.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the original folklore, Shurale's personality varies; often, he is simply The Trickster, though sometimes he is depicted as murderous. However, he is not a sexual predator like in the ballet.
- Adapted Out: In some productions, such as the one danced currently by the Tatarstan Ballet, Ali-Batyr's friends don't appear in the end and instead it's Süimbike's sacrifice of her wings for the sake of her love that magically puts out the forest fire.
- Antagonist Title: Shurale is the Big Bad of the story.
- Attempted Rape: Unlike most ballet villains who at least try for a Dance of Romance, compelled by the sheer nature of the medium, Shurale, at least in the original choreography, pretty obviously tries to rape Süimbike.
- Creepy Crows: Among Shurale's servants, there are ravens who assist him with the second capture of Süimbike.
- Don't Celebrate Just Yet: When Ali-Batyr and Süimbike prepare for their wedding, Shurale turns up and kidnaps Süimbike again.
- Green and Mean: As befits a wood spirit, the extremely nasty Shurale is usually clad entirely in mossy green.
- Kill It with Fire: Shurale and his minions are destroyed for good only when Ali-Batyr sets the lair on fire.
- Manipulative Bastard: Rather than face Ali-Batyr and the villagers directly, Shurale secretly brings the wings to Süimbike, knowing that she will use them, and has his ravens catch her in the air.
- Muggle–Mage Romance: Human hunter Ali-Batyr and woman-bird Süimbike. In the end, Süimbike burns down her wings rather than leave her beloved.
- Rescue Romance: The love between Ali-Batyr and Süimbike blossoms after he saves her from Shurale.
- Together in Death: Ali-Batyr and Süimbike are ready to die together in the fire. It's subverted when Ali-Batyr's friends come to the rescue.
