Boston Ballet's "Roméo et Juliette" features unique form of dancing in the tragic love story

CBS News

2 days ago

Boston Ballet's new production of "Roméo et Juliette" is unlike any you've seen before, with Juliette taking on a different form of dancing.
The tragic love story in this contemporary piece is still intact but the presentation of the ballet is unique, with Juliette dancing some of the piece barefoot.
"The barefoot dance is actually harder for classical ballet dancers," said principal dancer Seo Hye Han. "We are switching from pointe shoes to bare feet. That means we are using different muscles of the legs, so I do some exercises to turn on the different muscles."
In rehearsals, the dancers wrap their ankles for extra support and in some cases, tape their toes to protect their feet from blisters.
"[It] was a little challenging but now I understand why it must be barefoot because it changes the mood, it changes the movement, it gets more wild and more natural," said Han.
"I think when you see a dancer, barefoot, hair down, just fully herself or himself, it makes it such a personal journey. It makes it so vulnerable," said second soloist Courtney Nitting. "Playing the nurse, I am very close with the Juliette and the Roméo even throughout the entire ballet and seeing those characters go through the story...she starts in pointe shoes and then going to barefoot, you just really feel...as much of her soul that she can give to the audience. I think that's what dancing barefoot does. You're grounded in the floor, you're not really wearing anything, your hair is down, you're just completely you and you're in the story with the music."
Combining dancing and acting
For both dancers, acting is a key part of the performance.
"I already danced a different version of Juliet many years ago and that Juliet was more girly, fragile, lyrical. So I needed to recreate my own Juliet again when I learned this ballet," said Han. "The funny thing is this Juliet is more close to my personality so I had so much fun doing this...she's not really shy in this version. She knows what she wants. She's very wild. She's bold, sometimes very rebellious."
"I get to be super fun and silly and flirty as the nurse," said Nitting. "And then I also get to find those deeper, more intimate moments...this particular version of 'Roméo et Juliette' is just very human and I think that's something that's really special about it and it makes it personal for us as dancers and hopefully for the audience as well."
"It drains lots of emotions from me and that's the actually hardest part, dancing in this Roméo et Juliette," said Han. "I have to put everything in it."
Boston Ballet's production of "Roméo et Juliette" is at the Citizens Opera House through Sunday, June 8.