Romeo and Juliet – the Ballet of Timeless Love

Jiří Jelinek as Tybalt and artists of the ballet in Romeo and Juliet
Image credit: yfrog.com/nationalballet - national.ballet.ca

Romeo and Juliet World Premiere
National Ballet of Canada
November 16-27, 2011
Four Seasons Centre for the Perfoming Arts
145 Queen Street West, Toronto

A historic event took place on November 16, 2011 in Toronto - The world premiere of the new "Romeo and Juliet" ballet was greatly anticipated by the full house audience at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. When the curtain lifted on an entirely original choreography by the renowned artist, Alexei Ratmansky, a timeless tale of undying love unfolded.

The National Ballet of Canada’s Guillaume Cote and Elena Lobsanova were unforgettable as the famous star-crossed lovers. Their performance moves the heart to tears, and reminds us of the enduring love that triumphs over death. The young dancers reached sublime perfection in their portrayal of the tragic couple. Guillaume Cote is a high-energy, romantic Romeo, who emits vitality and valour with every move. Elena Lobsanova is breathtaking as the exuberant Juliet; she conveys deep emotions and intricate steps through brilliant lightness and purity.

The William Shakespeare's classic love story is vibrantly expressed by the masterful interplay of characters whose roles are integral to the plot. Alexei Ratmansky’s choreography is rich with complicated lifts, jumps and turns, every moment of the ballet is active and emotive, filled with complex dance sequences, clever humour and powerful drama. Piotr Stanczyk dances a witty and charismatic Mercutio and Jiri Jelinek portrays an ominous Tybalt, their actions together with the rivalry of the two houses are pivotal to the fate of Romeo and Juliet.

The ballet builds in dramatic intensity and reaches its apex in the last act with the fateful end of the lovers’ lives. But their love lives on as Romeo and Juliet, husband and wife, follow each other into eternity. Their love unites rivalling families and transcends death, as Romeo and Juliet live on forever in spirit, saved by each others’ love. It is this vital message that the ballet conveys, as the audience sees its beloved characters dying in each others’ arms.

The new ballet is an epic undertaking to resurrect a story which is based on true events - a story which tends to repeat itself at various times in history, showing that its message is not understood. It takes great masterpieces such as the one born on the stage of the National Ballet of Canada, to transmit the moral of the story anew. This phenomenal new choreography, set to legendary music by Sergei Prokofiev, is created by great masters and artists, including set and costumes design by Richard Hudson. It is a production which unlike the previous version of the ballet involves the full corps de ballet of the Company and is a full-length classical ballet attuned to the contemporary life.

On stage until November 27, 2011, the groundbreaking ballet is an inspiring and exhilarating experience which will be cherished for generations. To see this beautiful ballet, with its exceptional dancers, superlative choreography and outstanding performance, is to participate in history and to realise the constant moral of life, that love never fails and endures everything.

2011 @ Anya

The National Ballet of Canada
Romeo and Juliet: The Trailer

youtube.com: Romeo and Juliet: The Trailer
credit: nationalballetcanada | Nov 18, 2011 | 91 views

links:
twitter.com: nationalballet
Thank you to our amazing opening night audience for your 10 minute ovation and raptuous response to the world premiere of Romeo and Juliet.
17 Nov

backstagepassblog.ca: A Fresh Take on Romeo and Juliet
by Karen Kain, Artistic Director

cbc.ca/video: November 19, 2011 > News > TV Shows > The National > Ballet's gutsy gamble
Featured Analysis: National Ballet celebrates 60 years in style
The National Ballet takes a great leap of faith with a top choreographer's new production of the classic love story Romeo and Juliet: There aren't too many people who dare to re-work a Shakespeare classic, but the National Ballet of Canada has done just that to mark its 60th anniversary. It's a gamble costing almost 2-million dollars, but with the help of an acclaimed choreographer - one that's paying dividends.
Arisa Cox has the story tonight

World Premiere of Romeo and Juliet: National Ballet of Canada: November 16-27

National Ballet of Canada: Alexei Ratmansky's Romeo & Juliet
Four Seasons Centre for the Perfoming Arts, November 16-27, 2011
Photo credits: Guillaume Côté and Elena Lobsanova in Romeo and Juliet
Photograph : Christopher Wahl + national.ballet.ca

The National Ballet of Canada

World Premiere

Romeo & Juliet

New production
choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky

November 16-27, 2011

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Map & Directions: 145 Queen Street West, Toronto


World premiere of Romeo and Juliet by Alexei Ratmanksy opens 60th anniversary season of The National Ballet of Canada. And even more: November 14 – 20, 2011 proclaimed as "National Ballet of Canada Week" in the City of Toronto.

Shakespeare's tender, tragic and enduring evocation of youthful passion undone by familial and societal discord, Romeo and Juliet has exerted its incomparable emotional power over generations of ballet audiences throughout the world.

Created by the internationally celebrated choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, this world premiere is a totally fresh, brilliantly imagined interpretation of Shakespeare's play. Building on and finding wonderfully inventive possibilities in Prokofiev's inimitable and touching score, Ratmansky blends the elegance and stateliness of a classical vocabulary with the intense emotional edge of the modern to create an unforgettable version of one of the greatest dance dramas ever.

More info: national.ballet.ca

Romeo and Juliet: The Photo Shoot


youtube.com: Romeo and Juliet: The Photo Shoot
Video by James Cooper.
Uploaded by nationalballetcanada on Sep 20, 2011

links:
balletnews.co.uk: Guillaume Côté and Elena Lobsanova will dance the Opening Night of the World Premiere of Romeo & Juliet on November 16th 2011

balletnews.co.uk: National Ballet of Canada | Romeo and Juliet Principal Casting Announced

toronto.com: Romeo and Juliet-themed Menu at Tundra
Tundra Restaurant, located in the Hilton Toronto Hotel (the National Ballet’s Official Hospitality Partner) on Richmond Street, is offering a special Romeo and Juliet menu.

khvostik.wordpress.com: Le Ballet est Ballets Russes
by khvostik

torontolife.com: Best of Fall #5: How the National Ballet’s Elena Lobsanova is preparing for her big debut in Romeo and Juliet
by Emily Landau

broadwayworld.com: BWW Interviews: Elena Lobsanova talks the World Premiere of Romeo and Juliet
by Kelly Cameron

toronto.com: A fresh take on Romeo and Juliet
by Michael Crabb

nytimes.com: Alexei Ratmansky
"Alexei Ratmansky is the most in-demand ballet choreographer in the world, known for his musicality, wit and physical inventiveness."
The New York Times

Toronto Free Events: Four Seasons Centre

Free concerts in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

Tuesday, June 19, 2007
12 – 1 p.m.

The Musicians in Ordinary presents
Not One Lady Failed to Shed a Tear: The Birth of Opera

Thursday, June 21, 2007
12 – 1 p.m.

Claudia Moore
Tedd Robinson, choreographer present
How to be Older and Reckless

Details:

Not One Lady Failed to Shed a Tear: The Birth of Opera Concert for Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies & Canadian Opera Company
A program of early 17th-century Italian Baroque music. The new affective Baroque style sought to make even the rocks weep. Contemporary descriptions of performances by singers such as Adriana Basile and Francesca Caccini tell us that the people in the audience were so moved. The new style has the power to entrance and enthrall. Composers to be heard will include Monteverdi (Lamento d’Arianna), Giulio and Francesca Caccini, Stefano Landi, Alessandro Picininni and others.

Presented in collaboration with the Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies, Victoria University in the University of Toronto, on the occasion of the Renaissance Spring Festival 2007.

How to be Older and Reckless
Claudia Moore is one of Canada's most celebrated senior dance artists. She trained at Canada's National Ballet School and has performed with The National Ballet of Canada, Toronto Dance Theatre and Desrosiers Dance Theatre. For the past 10 years she has been the artistic director of Moonhorse Dance Theatre. Ms Moore continues to be "older and reckless" as an artist and has teamed up with celebrated choreographer Tedd Robinson to create this brand new solo. Claudia will reveal the process of dancing alone and on the edge—and invites you to join her in this journey. ". . . One of the most beautiful and expressive bodies in Canadian dance." Dance Connection
The performances of young Canadian artists in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre are made possible by a generous donation from Massey College through the Bernard Ostry Cultural Foundation fund and the Fellows’ Fund endowed by Vincent Massey Tovell, O.C.

National Ballet of Canada: Class on Stage and We Mean It

Ballet a La Carte
The creative idea was inspired by the National Ballet of Canada “Class on Stage"
luminaTO’s event and lunch at the Hosu Bistro.
2007 @ artjunction.blogspot.com

Class on Stage
Saturday June 2, 2007
1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Watch the National Ballet’s dancers take class on stage at the Four Seasons Centre. Artist-in-Residence Rex Harrington will lead the dancers in their daily training routine while Senior Ballet Master Peter Ottmann provides insightful commentary. The event is part of Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts & Creativity 2007 and is free of charge. Doors open at 12:00 pm - arrive early, seating is limited.

Credit: LUMINATO: Toronto Festival of Arts & Creativity 2007

Notes & Impressions:
Saturday, June 2nd 2007

When Olga rang to tell me that the COC was hosting a ballet show called “Classes on Stage” at first I had my doubts, but agreed to come anyway.
I imagined a bunch of sweating dancers in tights doing warm-up moves with one hand clutching a long horizontal bar. As it turned out that was the beginning of the show, so I found myself dozing off.
Then they removed the bars! I set up, when I saw the dancers started to do their leaps and bounds into air like so many flying gazelles. It was a quite a treat seeing them giving their best performance, and repeating some of the more difficult steps for us. And Rex Harrington, NBC’s main dancer, kept the atmosphere relaxed and everyone of good humor.
All in all it was a show worth seeing and so graciously given.

2007 © Olivia

National Ballet Back Stage

When you watch ballet, you are amazed at how they make it look so easy. You take it for granted. You think it’s all their second nature. Part of it, certainly, is. But the rest is hard work day in and day out.
To spend almost two hours just to warm up BEFORE daily rehearsals and then hours of rehearsing, sounds like an excruciatingly painful daily routine. I’ve just watched one such routine – National Ballet’s Class on Stage in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, and appreciated the hard work the performers put into their art for us to enjoy.
Thank you NBC!

2007 © Enhee

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permanent link:

National Ballet of Canada: Class on Stage and We Mean It
http://artjunction.blogspot.com/2007/06/national-ballet-of-canada-class-on.html