It was in Sergei Prokofiev's music that György Vámos found the key to his ballet Romeo and Juliet, which was first premièred at the Rheinoper in 1997. By transplanting it from the Renaissance to the 20th century, the choreographer harmonised the traditions of classical ballet with Prokofiev's insistence that it "depict human emotions”. Vámos wrote it for dancing "actors” who speak and sing with their bodies. His Romeo and Juliet are two young people who start the piece carefree and a bit naïve, but are capable of overwhelmingly passionate feelings which then lead to tragedy. It's not a dreaming pair of dancers he presents, but rather two dynamic individuals full of joie de vivre who are strong enough to love and die for love.

Presented by: National Dance Theatre