ROMEO AND JULIET

March 19, 2025, 7 pm

"Romeo and Juliet - ballet by Prokofiev Choreographer.

Valentina Turku's creative approach reflects the iconography of Renaissance paintings and architecture, but also incorporates the contemporary relevance of the eternal desire for love. "The 'hunger' for life and new experiences of love - sensuality, cruelty and passion - are at the heart of the intractable dramatic conflict that leads to the tragic end of two young idealists. The choreography is firmly built on classical vocabulary but used with flexibility and inventiveness to highlight the imagery. A pupil of the legendary Maurice Berjard, Valentina Turcu is an exceptional dancer and choreographer. Her body of work includes over 130 ballet, theatre and opera productions, with her ballets touring worldwide. Her works have been described by critics as sensational emotional experiences, visionary ideas, unique sensory poetry, with a sense of theatre. Turku won the Slovenian State Award for her outstanding achievement as a director and choreographer for the 2012 production of Romeo and Juliet at the Slovenian National Theatre in Maribor, which was also staged to great success in Riga in 2014 and in Vilnius in 2015. With its lush, haunting music and intricate choreography, Romeo and Juliet remains a favourite of the classical ballet repertoire. Prokofiev captures the intensity of the lovers' emotions, from the joy of their first meeting to the tragedy of their untimely deaths. There is hardly a person who cannot think of the Dance of the Knights, Juliet Maiden, Dazzle, Menuet and other gripping numbers from the music of the ballet. The ballet adaptation of Romeo and Juliet has been performed countless times around the world, captivating audiences with its timeless story of unrequited love and ultimate tragedy.--