The world premiere of the National Ballet of Canada’s Romeo and Juliet manages to be both elegant and lively. Adapted from Shakespeare’s tragedy with Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s dramatically nuanced score, the preformance features new choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, a revamp of the classic ballet intended to celebrate NBC’s 60th anniversary. The production is incredibly rich in detail, from the dancers’ costumes and the set design to Ratmansky’s modern, emotive choreography.
The premiere features an incredibly elaborate and beautiful set, which seems to take inspiration from the aesthetic of Zeffirelli’s 1968 film. Sparse, modern sets have their place, but NBC’s production is suitably lush in Renaissance-style detail. Lighting manages to imitate the Verona sun, and the dancers swirl about in complex, historically accurate costumes, which makes their skilled execution of the detailed, expressive choreography all the more impressive.
As danced by Elena Lobsanova, Juliet is, rightly, the centerpiece of the production. The ballet adheres to Shakespeare’s conception of Juliet as a 14-year-old girl. Lobsanova’s Juliet is a nimble and delicate girl, capable of switching from impishness to impassioned romance at any moment. Lobsanova’s chemistry with Guillaume Côté (Romeo) is undeniable, and their dances together are incredibly expressive. At one point, the barefoot dancer who plays Friar Lawrence has trouble performing the marriage ceremony because his two charges are too busy literally falling into each other’s arms.
Though plot necessitates that the ballet end as a tragedy, Ratmansky’s creative choreography provides a certain levity. Ratmansky has Romeo and his buddies horse around: they chase girls and play sword-fight. This combination of physical comedy with classical dance is incredibly successful, as Piotr Stanczyk’s dashing, ribald Mercutio nearly steals the show. Even though the audience knows how the story will end, the dancers are successful in conveying a sense of the present, and the feeling of suspense is rare and welcome in the retelling of a familiar story. By the time Juliet “sheaths” her dagger at the end of the ballet, some audience members were quietly sniffing.
