Shakespeare's tale of doomed young love has inspired innumerable adaptations, including Prokofiev's popular ballet (VL-5/01, VL-9/13). But like Mats Ek's recent version for the Royal Swedish Ballet (VL-7/14), figure-skater-turned-choreographer Sébastien Lefrançois's Roméos & Juliettes—created for the Suresnes Cities Festival of Contemporary Dance in 2008—doesn't employ the Russian composer's famous music. Instead, Lefrançois has set his piece to a busy and propulsive new score by Laurent Couson—one that may not be particularly memorable, but well suits the choreography, which employs many hip-hop moves while fairly closely following Shakespeare. The nine dancers perform on a rather bare stage, periodically shifting platforms around. All are fine, but Jann Gallois and Giovanni Léocadie obviously take pride of place as Juliette and Roméo, while Mario Faundez's costumes provide not only some vibrant color but also a hint of Renaissance style. Presented in PCM stereo, this intermittently interesting contemporary balletic twist on the classic story is a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
Roméos & Juliettes
(2008) 79 min. DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Arthaus Musik (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 30, Issue 2
Roméos & Juliettes
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