Mats Ek: Julia & Romeo

Romeo and Julia becomes Julia & Romeo when world renowned choreographer Mats Ek presents his full-length work to Tchaikovsky’s music, with its first performance of the Royal Swedish Ballet at the Royal Opera House. ‘It’s time to turn things around,’ says Mats Ek. Also, one of Shakespeare’s originals was in fact named Julia and Romeo. So you can say that this is a return to the story’s source. And to use the music of Tchaikovsky, and not Prokofiev’s, is also a signal. But the drama’s bearing conflict with the young unprotected love versus the established violence, is still there – a tragedy in which love triumphs by going under. Julia and Romeo is Mats Ek’s first major full-length works since Sleeping Beauty made for the Hamburg Ballet in 1996. Music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, in the selection of Mats Ek, adapted by Anders Högstedt.