To The Pointe: Romeo & Juliet

Ah, yes: star-crossed lovers, show-stopping swordsmanship, and a tragic ending for the ages. On the surface, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet seems like a natural and easy fit for the balletic stage. But the conception of this now-classic ballet, which has only been around for about 80 years, came with a host of challenges for its composer, Sergei Prokofiev. In this episode of To The Pointe, learn about the USSR’s influence on the original ballet and how it’s morphed over time, landing at SF Ballet in 1994 when Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson put his own spin on the classic love story.