An exploration of what makes Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet so special.
Kenneth
MacMillan poignant setting of Sergey Prokofiev’s classic score draws
out the emotional and psychological intensity of the tale.
Romeo and
Juliet contains three passionate pas de deux: the lovers’ first meeting,
the famous balcony scene and the devastating final tragedy, in which
Romeo dances desperately with the lifeless Juliet. The story is set
against a wonderful evocation of 16th-century Verona, and includes a
bustling marketplace that erupts into a violent sword fight, and a
lavish ball held in an elegant mansion.
MacMillan’s Romeo and
Juliet first arrived at Covent Garden in 1965. Rudolf Nureyev and Margot
Fonteyn took the title roles on the opening night – MacMillan had
originally created the work on Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable.
Nevertheless, Fonteyn and Nureyev’s performance had a rapturous
reception, with 43 curtain calls and almost forty minutes of applause.
The ballet has been at the heart of the Company’s repertory ever since,
amassing more than four hundred performances. This classic production
has been toured around the world and in 2011 was adapted for arena-scale
performances at the O2 Arena.
Behind the Scenes
Darcey Bussell and Donald MacLeary on the creation of Romeo and Juliet
Exploring MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet choreography
The X World 