Romeo & Juliet

The Story
The legend of the "pair of star crossed lovers" driven to destruction by the strife between their parents' families is a love story as old as time itself. It was told many times in many forms during the two centuries before William Shakespeare brought it to the stage in the 1590s, but within a few years Shakespeare’s version became the definitive Romeo and Juliet. The ballet you see today has it’s foundation in the 1930’s when the great Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev was asked by the Kirov theatre to produce a new ballet; Prokofiev proposed Romeo & Juliet. He went through much heartache of his own to bring it to the stage and in the end it was not a Russian company that performed the premier, but a company in the old Czechoslovakia.

The Company
The Russian Festival Ballet represents the cream of the Russian ballet and consists mostly of winners and top performers in major international ballet competitions. Founded in 1989 by Timur Fayziev the renowned choreographer and dancer, the company is drawn from the Bolshoi and Stanislavsky companies. They have performed more than 1000times since 1989 and toured all over the world including Japan, China, Taiwan, Italy, Switzerland and Spain. The legendary Rudolf Nureyev chose The Russian Festival Ballet for his last tour in 1991. They are definitely one of the most experienced classical ballet troupes to be seen anywhere in the world today.

The Music
Sergei Prokofiev was commissioned by the Kirov Theatre in Leningrad for the ballet of Romeo & Juliet, today one of Prokofiev’s best known works. The music takes us on a journey through, the aggressive force of the warring families, the pomp of the guests assembling for the Capulet’s grand ball and the swagger of the interloping Montagues.

The Press
“The Russian Festival Ballet took centre-stage at the Madinat Jumeirah in a timeless performance of Romeo & Juliet which started on Valentine’s Day and continued past its planned four-day run due to popular demand. The classic Shakespeare tale had the audiences delighted with performances by Yana Kazantseva who played Juliet and Dmitry Smirnov who played Romeo”.
- Mondanite, March 2006

“Painted faces and pointed toes brought elegance to the Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet at the Madinat Theatre in Dubai and the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. Set to Sergie Prokofiev's musical masterpiece, the audience was swept away by this interpretation of the greatest love story ever written, which (rather appropriately) opened in Dubai on Valentine’s Day.”
- Grazia , March 2006

Pictures
Click on thumbnail images below to view larger image.

Event Details

 Madinat Theatre, Jumeirah, Dubai
   Feb 14th – Feb 17th 2006

 Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi
   22nd & 23rd Feb 2006

Performed by The Russian Festival Ballet

Other Events
Click on the events listed below to view detailed informtaion.

  Simply Ballroom
  Madame Butterfly
  Queen - Its a Kinda Magic!
  Swan Lake…on the Lake
  The Nutcracker Ballet