Romeo and Juliette debuts in Joburg
BRAAMFONTEIN - Everyone knows the romantic tale of Romeo and Juliette, but now Joburg Theatre is giving you the chance to witness the beautiful story told through ballet.
The Geneva Ballet comes to the Joburg Theatre to debut the product of their collaboration in the form of Romeo and Juliette, for the first time in Johannesburg.
A special time for the show makers, it is during the Johannesburg run that the cast will celebrate their 100th performance of the production.
Joëlle Bouvier is just one of the choreographers invited to work on the show, and she has re-imagined it in a contemporary context that does not stick explicitly to the original story line, but still conveys its ideas and messages.
“Together, we unite our bodies into the gentleness and fury of this music,” said Bouvier.
“We let ourselves be inspired by the rhythm and its poetic nature to compose body movements, lifts, motions and fractures, which all describe the passionate adventure of the two lovers.”
The soundtrack for the show, which came together at the hand of composer Prokofiev, is the backbone of the show and allows the story to be told through his strong and stirring melodies.
The average age of the dancers in the production is 25, which displays the cast’s youthful, yet professional, skill on stage.
The production will only be made up of six shows, but with the two-week visit to Joburg by the Geneva Ballet, there will be more projects in the making.
A collaborative project with Nathanaël Marie of the Geneva Ballet will include big industry personalities such as Gregory Maqoma, Mamela Nyamza, PJ Sabbagha and Fana Tshabalala, for a number of showcases that will be performed at the Soweto Theatre, Wits, The Dance Space and the Hillbrow Theatre.
Romeo & Juliette will be on from 17 to 21 June.
Details: 0861 670 670; 011 877 6853; www.joburgtheatre.com
