Boris Lermontov
Boris Lermontov is the impresario of the Ballet Lermontov, a fictional ballet company that is among the world's most prestigious. His dancers are widely celebrated for their talent—but in exchange for this fame, he demands that they yield nearly all control of their lives. Lermontov requires that the members of his company prioritize dance over everything else, including, of course, romance. While some view him as cruel, others see him as a genius, demanding nothing of his dancers that he does not simultaneously demand of himself. Regardless of whether his need for control is justifiable, it acts as the driving force of Vicky's undoing: he forces her to choose between her love for Julian and her love of art, leading to a demise in which she loses both forever.
Vicky Page
Vicky Page is a young, talented, and initially unknown dancer who meets Lermontov at a party through her aristocratic aunt, Lady Neston. Though he is initially reluctant to watch her dance, Lermontov agrees to invite Vicky to a rehearsal, and is captivated by her talent and grace. After a trial performance of Swan Lake, Vicky is invited to travel with the Ballet Lermontov to Paris, where she stars in a new ballet, The Red Shoes. The ballet launches her to stardom, but her newfound fame comes at a price: she is forced to choose between her romance with Julian and her role as the prima ballerina for Lermontov's company. After attempting to keep her relationship with Julian secret, Vicky eventually fails, fighting with Lermontov and departing from the company. She briefly rejoins it for a revival run of The Red Shoes, but a tiff with Lermontov and Julian before the performance drives her to jump from a balcony, dying in Julian's arms before the performance can begin.
Julian Craster
Julian, a struggling young composer, catches a big break when he realizes that a professor from his music school has plagiarized one of his compositions. Eager to prove that the music was his, he writes to and eventually visits Boris Lermontov, playing one of his works on the piano. Lermontov invites him to join the company, where he arrives on the same day as Vicky. The two begin a collaboration as Julian is commissioned to write the score for The Red Shoes, the ballet in which Vicky will star. As they work together, the two develop a romance, which puts Julian at odds with Lermontov, who demands to be the sole interest of his dancers' lives. While Lermontov represents a dedication to art, Julian represents true love—which Vicky chooses, quitting dance until the revival run of The Red Shoes. His role as her loving husband is then challenged once again as Lermontov attempts to lure Vicky back into the company, but is cemented when he removes the red shoes from Vicky's feet as she dies in his arms.
Irina Boronskaja
Early in the film, Irina is the prima ballerina of the Ballet Lermontov. However, when she announces she is engaged to be married, Lermontov dismisses her angrily, creating the opportunity for Vicky to ascend within the company. This incident demonstrates Lermontov's obsessive desire to control his dancers' lives, and foreshadows his violent response to Vicky's romance with Julian. Lermontov's extreme possessiveness over Vicky can thus be read as a desire not to let history repeat itself, stemming from his distress over Irina's departure.
Grischa Ljubov
Grischa Ljubov is the choreographer for the Ballet Lermontov, who writes the ballet steps that accompany Julian's music to The Red Shoes. Although he works for Lermontov, he is apparently sympathetic to Vicky's cause, typically attempting to encourage Lermontov to treat his dancers more fairly and understand their human nature. However, regardless of his occasional sympathy, he is ultimately on Lermontov's team.
Lady Nestor
Lady Nestor is Vicky's wealthy aunt, who attends the performance of Heart of Fire at the beginning of the film. There, she meets Lermontov and attempts to persuade him to watch Vicky dance; however, he declines. Ultimately, it is not Lady Nestor's request, but Vicky's own charm that wins Lermontov over and persuades him to let her dance for his company.
Livy
Livingstone Montague, or "Livy" for short, is the conductor for the Ballet Lermontov. Julian is initially hired as Livy's assistant.
Professor Palmer
Professor Palmer is Julian's music teacher. Julian attends the performance of Heart of Fire at the beginning of the film to support Professor Palmer, but soon realizes that the professor has actually plagiarized his work. Julian then writes a letter to Lermontov complaining that the professor stole his music, and he first encounters Lermontov in person when he tries to get the letter back.
Ivan Boleslawsky
Ivan Boleslawsky is one of the male principal dancers for the Ballet Lermontov. In the performance of The Red Shoes, he plays Vicky's love interest, at one point shape-shifting into a newspaper. She grows apart from him over the course of the ballet, showing how the shoes force her to dance even at the expense of her relationship to her loved ones.
The Shoemaker
The Shoemaker is a fictional character in the ballet The Red Shoes. He creates the magical shoes that force their wearer to keep dancing, and gives them to the young girl (played by Vicky in the ballet). He might be likened to Lermontov, as he is a controlling creative genius whose marvelous work is at odds with his sinister intentions.
