Romeo and Juliet National Ballet Company of Canada Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on Saturday
An old-hat production can be given new lustre with the right chemistry. The National Ballet of Canada has been performing John Cranko's Romeo and Juliet since 1964, but almost 40 years later, Saturday's opening cast made the ballet seem fresh and vital.
Sonia Rodriguez and Aleksandar Antonijevic danced the lead roles and gave memorable performances. Rodriguez, fully in control of her body, can mask technique within a seamless flow of movement. There is never a jarring line or awkward angle to her body. Over this superb technique, she layers a brilliant interpretation as an actress. There is a great deal of mime in this ballet, and not once did Rodriguez strike a false note. She was consumed by her character.
For his part, Antonijevic could always dance well, crisp of technique and light as a feather, but he was blancmange in expression in his early years with the company. Recently, he has been coupled with intelligent ballerinas, such as Rodriguez, and he has blossomed into an extraordinary actor-dancer.
His Romeo, like Rodriguez's Juliet, was filled with subtle personality nuance and character detail that fleshed out Cranko's choreography beyond mere storytelling. Theirs is a dance partnership that could well be the stuff of legends.
Former principal dancer Gizella Witkowsky returned as a guest artist to perform Lady Capulet, and time away from the stage has not dimmed her immense dramatic powers. In her capable hands, Juliet's mother became a complex woman. It would be easy to play Mercutio as a one-dimensional, fun-loving brat, but the wonderful William Marrié gave the character depth within the physical rigours of the role.
Choreographically, Benvolio is overshadowed by both his pals, Mercutio and Romeo, but Richard Landry was able to make his presence felt, and he certainly has technique to execute challenging turns and jumps. The brooding Etienne Lavigne was one of the most terrifying Tybalts in recent memory, and is certainly someone to watch in the future for character roles. Imperious and princely, Guillaume Côté was a noble Paris and made even this secondary role a commanding figure.
The National is blessed with veteran character dancers, and Tomas Schramek in the triple role of Friar Lawrence, Duke of Verona and Lord Montague, and Hazaros Surmeyan as Lord Capulet, breathed real-life characterizations into their performances, while the flawless Victoria Bertram, as Juliet's nurse, is perhaps the best senior dancer in the country. Her portraits of dance's geriatric set are always astonishing in their truthfulness.
Despite some woodwind problems, conductor Ormsby Wilkins led the National Ballet Orchestra in a stirring, yet sensitive performance of Prokofiev's evocative score.
Perhaps this performance was all the more remarkable because, truth be said, Cranko's choreography is showing signs of age. In the cold light of the 21st century, much of the movement is simplistic and predictable. But in the hands of a company that understands the concept of dance-theatre, a triumph of storytelling can emerge from banality. Romeo and Juliet continues at the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto until Feb. 17. For information: 416-345-9595.