Joffrey Ballet Presents Passionate Performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

A guest post by Anna Dron

Young men, incredibly loyal to their families, battle for bragging rights and pride, one family fighting for the right to love young Juliet and the other defending their jewel. Realizing Krzysztof Pastor’s choreography, the Joffrey Ballet creates a beautifully passionate rendition of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.  When we hear the word “passion,” we are likely to think of romantically or sexually ecstatic experiences. The origin of the word “passion,” however, comes from Latin pati, which means “to suffer.” It is this definition of passion that the Joffrey Ballet evokes in order to tell the story of families who forget why they’re fighting in the first place, losing lives in the process.

Those from Chicago wouldn’t need to study Shakespeare to know the story, as it happens daily in their own backyard. The only difference is that the Ballet’s musical score, full of discordant crescendos, lends a peculiar element of beauty to the conflict. I had the pleasure of seeing a sneak peak of the performance of Joffrey Ballet dancers rehearsing the fight scene between Romeo’s Montague and Juliet’s Capulet families. Just like the families of our neighborhoods, the dancers move with deliberate meaning. In fact, I overheard a dancer rehearsing the role of Tybalt asking Pastor what a certain movement meant (arms waving back and forth from top to bottom). Pastor initially appeared confused at the question but then looked amused, as the question reveals the dancer’s dedication and desire to fulfilling his role purely. (Aside: It turns out the movement was simply an exasperation and exaggeration during his fight with Mercutio). Pastor’s choreography illuminates the story that continues to fascinate and inspire us by ensuring that each movement is marked with precision, as well as a genuine expression of love, suffering, and death. 

I had reason to look forward to seeing The Joffrey Ballet’s U.S. Premiere of Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo and Juliet and my patience was rewarded. The piano that had accompanied the rehearsals became the Chicago Philharmonic and leotards transformed into costumes that transport the audience into 1920s Italy, Pastor’s statement that similar conflicts continue through the years, regardless of time, place, or people. The final scenes are breathtaking. The intricacies of every move, intensity of emotion, and music of Prokofiev’s score all contribute to create a masterpiece ending that I would watch again and again and enjoy just as much as I did the first time.

Single tickets, which range from $31 to $152, are available for purchase at The Joffrey Ballet’s official Box Office located in the lobby of Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph Street, as well as the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Box Office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by telephone at (800) 982-2787, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.  

Romeo & Juliet runs through Sunday, May 11. The remaining performance schedule is as follows: Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 pm; Friday, May 9 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, May 10 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; and Sunday, May 11 at 2 pm.

Disclosure: Anna attended a dress rehearsal as part of a media preview. She paid for her tickets.