It was one of the most successful ballets to hit the stage at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre.
Last year’s sold-out performance of Swan Lake by Ballet Jörgen is a hard act to follow, however, the company is attempting to entice ballet lovers and newcomers once again with its upcoming performance.
Ballet Jörgen is returning to Vernon Feb. 4 as part of its 2014 Western Canada tour with Shakespeare’s tale of love, anguish, family feuds and revenge.
It’s an emotionally-driven interpretation of the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet, set to Prokofiev’s classic score, said Amie Roussel, the Performing Arts Centre’s dance outreach coordinator.
“After their amazing sold-out Vernon performance of Swan Lake last year, Ballet Jörgen brings a full ensemble of 18 talented dancers performing the company’s original repertoire. Many of their original ballets have earned national and international recognition propelling Ballet Jörgen Canada to the forefront of the North American dance scene,” said Roussel.
“Audiences are sure to be enthralled by Romeo & Juliet, an amazing piece of literary history, and an enchanting night out at the ballet. You’ll find passion throughout the careful storytelling of this timeless masterpiece.”
A vision by Ballet Jörgen’s choreographer and co-founder, Bengt Jörgen, Romeo & Juliet encapsulates everything from giddy and swooning duets with the two lovers, to lively and fiery battles of honour between Tybalt and Mercutio, said Roussel.
Audiences will experience the romance and tragedy from the moment Juliet first sees Romeo and can’t take her eyes off him; until the ill-fated final scene when she at once knows her lover is dead yet still tries to wake him up with her kiss to fend off the inevitable.
“For the first timer, this show will offer a unique opportunity to see how dance can narrate an entire story purely with movement and without any words,” said Ballet Jörgen’s Colin Asuncion, “It really has so many aspects on stage: talent, choreography, acting, costumes, and set and lighting. It is an all-encompassing theatre experience.”
Dancer Saniya Abilmajineva returns to Vernon as Juliet after appearing as the Sawn Queen in Swan Lake last year.
Celebrating 25 years of advancing the art and appreciation of ballet in Canada, Ballet Jörgen aims to inspire, innovate, and educate, and to demonstrate that, the company is offering the chance for local students to take on small cameo roles in this full-scale production.
Tickets for Romeo & Juliet are on sale now. Cost is $45 for adults, $42 for seniors and $40 for students. Call the Ticket Seller box office at 250-549-SHOW (7469) for more information, or purchase tickets online at www.ticketseller.ca.
