Romeo & Juliet to perform at Samford
Ashlyn Stallings
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: News
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In the realm of classic story ballets, few tales are well known by the general public. Characters from “Gisele,” “Copellia,” “Swan Lake” and “La Bayadere” are unfamiliar to most outside the dance world. But the timeless tale of “Romeo and Juliet” appeals to a broad audience, with many able to quote portions of Shakespeare’s masterpiece.
Matthew Prescott, as Romeo, had one hand on his hip as he walked with a lanky, turned-out swagger over to the dainty Juliet, played by Tatiana Ledovskikh.
Prokofiev’s score filled the studio as the two began to dance the famous death scene of “Romeo and Juliet.” The choreographed lackadaisical dance morphed the dancers into lovers suffering a crippling loss. As Juliet took her last crawl toward Romeo, she moved slowly until she collapsed over him.
Superb acting is key to “Romeo and Juliet,” and the dancers of the Alabama Ballet are again immersed in the performance.
Though the tale occurs in the second century, William Shakespeare breathed life into the story in 1593. Prokofiev’s dramatic score was completed in 1936, and ballet found its foothold in history in the 20th century.
Kelli Murdock, a company member, plays a friend of Juliet in the ballet.
“It’s an old story, and people are definitely able to get involved in it,” she said.
Choreographers translated the story from spoken word to ballet vocabulary, which is a daunting task. Roger van Fleteren crafted his version for the Alabama Ballet. It was the subject of Alabama Public Television’s Emmy-nominated documentary “The Making of Romeo & Juliet.”
An emotional connection between the dancers is necessary for the ballet to communicate the story to the audience.
“It’s not really even about the dancing,” she said. “What conveys the tragedy is how they incorporate the acting into the ballet,” dancer Emily Stephenitch said.
Prescott came to the Alabama Ballet as a freelance dancer, performing with both the Joffrey Ballet and Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet. Company members said they enjoy his interpretation of Romeo.
“It’s more playful but still very innocent,” Stephenitch said.
Ledovskikh’s Juliet is equally enchanting. Her exquisite ballerina mannerisms stick with her, but she is still able to translate the emotions of a young girl in love.
“If it’s hard, she doesn’t show it. She puts her whole heart into this role,” Murdock said.
The ballerinas are unanimous in their decision of favorite scenes.
“The Balcony pas de deux!” Three voices declared a simultaneous decision that holds true for most fans of the ballet.
When Romeo returns to the Capulet’s home after meeting Juliet hours before, the two perform a luminous and famous dance.
“I also love when they first meet,” Murdock said. “They are both dancing with their partners at the ball, but there are many moments when they just look at each other. They can’t keep their eyes off each other.”
The company is groomed and prepared to once again present the beloved tale in the Wright Center.