ROMEO AND JULIET

    COLORADO BALLET: FEB 4 – 13

L-R: Dana Benton and Yosvani Ramos (Photo credit: Mike Watson)

Colorado Ballet’s production of ROMEO AND JULIET is outstanding in every way.  A tip of the hat to Artistic Director Gil Boggs who has transformed this company into one of World Class status.

     Whether you’re a longtime aficionado of the ballet or a ballet virgin, the descriptive choreography by Derek Deane makes this story and all its characters come to life with easy accessibility.

     Under the baton of conductor Adam Flatt, the Colorado Ballet orchestra brings out every nuance of the powerfully beautiful music by Sergei Prokofiev.

      As Juliet,Dana Benton is a ballerina who dances as if she were a feather on a spring breeze. Her delicate girlish dancing in Act One transforms into one of frenzied strength and determination when fate darkens her world.

     Yosvani Ramos dances Romeo, her starry-eyed lover, with youthful abandon and great technique. In the pas de deux in the balcony scene the two lovers practically fly. Their pas de deux in Juliet’s bedroom the morning after their night together exquisitely conveys an ardent love and sheer bliss.

     This Romeo has great acting qualities.He’s able to convey the dizziness of first love and strong enough to easily lift and carry his Juliet around the Capulet crypt in agonizing grief.

     As Lady Capulet, ballet master Maria Mosina’s fury at the death of Tybalt is consummate artistry of the highest rank. One longs for the days in which this superb ballerina was the leading lady. 

     Gregory K. Gonzales as the stern overbearing Lord Capulet, provides the superb artistry Denver audiences have come to expect of him over these last decades. 

     Mercutio’s death scene is enacted with true bravado by Kevin Gael Thomas. His smoothly rising and falling again and again with cheerful abandon provides us with a knockout delivery of his character’s amiable insanity. Unmistakably, we hear a silent “A curse on both your houses” delivered in mime.

     Equally compelling is Tybalt’s death scene, in which the brilliant dancing of Jonathan Ramirez creates the jerky antithesis of the death of Mercutio.

     The show is staged to perfection by Ivan Gil-Ortega,Sandra Brown and Lorita Travaglia.

Illuminated by the lighting design of Todd Elmer, the scenery and costumes (Roberta de Bagno Guidi) which are courtesy of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, are eye-popping!

     The crimsons of the dancers’ costumes at the Capulet ball are as unforgettable as the violet of Lady Capulet’s swirling gown.

     The caliber of the entire corps de ballet is phenomenal.

 

     For tickets call 303-837-8888 or go online at Coloradoballet.org