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Star-crossed lovers: 'Romeo and Juliet' brings ballet twist to classic Shakespeare play

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Romeo and Juliet Ballet

鈥楻omeo and Juliet鈥

Festival Ballet sa国际传媒官网网页入口

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 3, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4

WHERE: National Hispanic Cultural Center, sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Theatre, 1701 Fourth St. SW

HOW MUCH: $12-$49

at nhccnm.org

Festival Ballet sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 鈥淩omeo and Juliet鈥 is a story of love, tragedy and dance all blended into one unique performance that puts a spin on the classic play.

On Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4, Festival Ballet sa国际传媒官网网页入口 will perform an original production based on William Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淩omeo and Juliet.鈥

鈥淚t鈥檚 incorporating our professional level dancers and obviously the main difficult dance scenes, but we also have children in the carnival and market scenes, and we have adult dancers,鈥 said Patricia Dickinson, FBA artistic director. 鈥淎 village or a township is made up of all ages, so for it to be even historically accurate is to have all ages.鈥

鈥淩omeo and Juliet鈥 are star-crossed lovers from feuding families desperately trying to stay together even when forces threaten to rip them apart.

Originally, the show was meant to be a one act 鈥 a shortened version of a full-length production 鈥 but after choreographer Alex Ossadnik began crafting the show, he and Dickinson realized in order to do it right, they needed to expand the length.

鈥淚 said 鈥榃e have to have more of the story so let鈥檚 go ahead make it two acts,鈥欌 Dickinson said. 鈥溾楻omeo and Juliet鈥 is such a huge story and with so many moving parts, it just turned into a two-act performance.鈥

While some productions choose to take a more modern approach to classic stories, Festival Ballet sa国际传媒官网网页入口 decided to keep 鈥淩omeo and Juliet鈥 as contemporary as possible, ranging from more folksy style music that sets up scenes and using more traditional costuming like long dresses to properly establish the era.

Another aspect of the story that will be kept in the ballet is sword fighting. In order to bring the sword fighting to life while maintaining safety, a professional was brought in to teach stage combat skills.

鈥淲e haven鈥檛 done a brand new from the floor up, beginning to end in probably a decade, and so we鈥檙e having all new choreography, all new sets on stage, and all new props and all new costumes,鈥 Dickinson said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 quite an undertaking, and it鈥檚 really beautiful. I鈥檓 very pleased with where it鈥檚 going.鈥

Star-crossed lovers: 'Romeo and Juliet' brings ballet twist to classic Shakespeare play

20250425-venue-v13ballet
Festival Ballet sa国际传媒官网网页入口 will perform William Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淩omeo and Juliet鈥 on Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4.
20250425-venue-v13ballet
Festival Ballet sa国际传媒官网网页入口 will perform William Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淩omeo and Juliet鈥 on Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4.
20250425-venue-v13ballet
Festival Ballet sa国际传媒官网网页入口 will perform William Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淩omeo and Juliet鈥 on Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4.
20250425-venue-v13ballet
Festival Ballet sa国际传媒官网网页入口 will perform "Romeo and Juliet" on Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.