The Virginia Arts Festival’s dance series has evolved into a very sophisticated operation, offering top-draw companies, among this year’s attractions the Alvin Ailey-American Dance Theater and Parsons Dance, leaders of elevated modern dance. For as visually exciting as modern movement can be, classical ballet fans live for full blown works. And the Festival met that need with the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
It’s the Shakespearean tale of star crossed lovers whose romance causes death and dismay among rival families that leads to more death and dismay, culminating in the tragic death of the fabled pair. The characters are the same, the resolutions are as well. It’s the play without words but with expressive movement that speaks poetically.
Serving in the translation of this story is Prokofiev’s score, undoubtedly one of, if not the, greatest ballet score ever penned. This work easily stands alone as a concert piece, so attractive and dramatic are its lines and lyricism and drama. But, in conjunction with this particular dance, it’s spectacular in its power and sweep. Thus, this Chrysler Hall showing Sunday was all it was expected to be: sensational.
Directed by David Bintley, the Birmingham is one of England’s three big-time companies and as such boasts fantastic productions that seem to spare nothing in elegance and attractiveness. Visually it was stunning, easily illustrating the program note observation that this production delivers “… elegantly marbled architecture … Raphaelesque color … and the feeling of a High Renaissance painting.” With multiple sets, each detailed for the moment, and thematic lighting, that combination along with elegant costumes offered a ballet version of grand opera at its most grand.
Birmingham’s “Romeo” used the still vibrant and appealing choreography of Kenneth MacMillan, whose every movement, hand gesture and facial mannerism carefully merged the impact of the play and drama of the score. Carrying out in superb style was a large cast of 30-some featured dancers, in addition to about 20 others in the ballroom scene and townspeople gatherings.
Certainly focus was on the titular leads and those roles were brilliantly carried out by Yaoqian Shang (Juliet) and Mathias Dingman (Romeo). Together they were perfectly paired, she lithe and lovely, he strong and supportive. Shang’s pointe work was graceful and light, secure and sensitive, as was her metered dramatic evolution from young naive girl to womanhood, from reticence to acceptance to love. When she rose on single pointe on their first kiss, it was a poetic sealing of the deal. In addition to his fine partnering of Shang, Dingman displayed strong solo ability in solidly executed leaps, turns and twists.
As the rival lover, Paris, Feargus Campbell was excellent, his stylish movement lending itself to the drama of his thwarted romance with Juliet.
The choreography provided the three harlots, Benvolio, Tybalt and Mercutio, among all others, was skillfully carried out, demonstrating the depth of superb training and excellence in dance the Birmingham boasts. Part and parcel of the rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets are sword fights and here those episodes were spectacular, the crossing of swords a metronomic reflection of the score.
Brett Morris exactingly coordinated the movement on stage with the music in the pit, so powerfully, poetically and sensitively delivered by the Virginia Symphony. As noted, this is an incredible score and Morris and musicians were masterful in relaying the magnitude of its expressiveness. It was a magical event that even the guy sitting beside me who cracked his knuckles for close to three hours didn’t destroy. Bravo Birmingham.
