Ballet Dance Review - Royal Ballet's Romeo and Juliet

by Emily
(England)

Ballet Dance Review - Royal Ballet's Romeo and Juliet : - Kenneth MacMillan's production of "Romeo and Juliet" revisited the Royal Ballet Company at the Royal Opera House. On Friday 8th January, I made a trip to see the Royal Ballet perform Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet". This 3 act ballet consisted of the following cast -


Romeo Edward Watson

Juliet Leanne Benjamin

Mercutio Steven McRae

Benvolio Johannes Stepanek

Tybalt Bennet Gartside


Overall, I left the performance feeling uplifted and fully satisfied from having just watched one of the most powerful love stories ever told. The dancers flawlessly revealed the legendary tale with not only ideal characterization but also faultless technique and artistry.

From the moment the curtains opened I was drawn into the busy nineteenth century village which showed the people of the Capulet and Montague family. The majestic costumes and realistic props mesmerized me into this time period and the stage took my full attention. The many sword fights added extra excitement and for a moment I believed I was watching professional sword fighters, not professional dancers!

The strong cast of dancers showed a true versatility of dancing, acting, artistry and technique. Leanne Benjamin made a bigger impact on delivering a strong technical performance, while Edward Watson captured a more artistic and passionate performance. They had a standard chemistry yet an immaculate technique. The balcony scene, a typical favourite, didn?t disappoint and they skilfully demonstrated stunning secure body turns and lyric musicality.

The music is a huge part of what makes this ballet so captivating. Prokofiev?s score shows to be rich, warm and powerful. The tragic story was confidently caught within the music; the score continually repeated the motif of music which summed up the dilemma of love, death and heartbreak.

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Reply by Odette

To Ballet Dance Review - Royal Ballet's Romeo and Juliet : -

Hiya Emily,

Romeo and Juliet is an absolute all time classic! Visit my Romeo and Juliet story page to find out more!

All the best,

Odette