If you thought that ballet is just a posh old form of entertainment, the Australian premiere of Benjamin Millepied’s Romeo & Juliet Suite will send your preconceptions pirouette-ing into oblivion. Hot off a sold-out season in Paris and navigating seamlessly between the conventions of cinema, dance and theatre, this production makes its Australian premiere in an exclusive season at the Sydney Opera House this week, from June 5–9. (Just in time for global Pride Month. Slay!)
Reflecting a universal expression of love, three different pairs of dancers will bring Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers into a contemporary setting. The rotating cast features a male-male pairing, a female-female pairing, and a female-male pairing – with each couple performing on different days.
Same-sex pairings are still a rare sight on the world stage of ballet, but this world-class production doesn’t stop breaking new ground there. Similar to the innovative “cine-theatre” work of Sydney Theatre Company’s outgoing artistic director Kip Williams, Romeo & Juliet Suite harnesses the interplay of dance and live cinema to tell the classic story through a bold, modern lens. A film crew will follow the L.A. Dance Project ensemble as they perform on-stage in the Joan Sutherland Theatre and beyond – moving throughout the building into unexpected spaces, with the live performance broadcast back to audiences inside the theatre in real-time.
Performing in this work around the world has been a profound experience for David Adrian Freeland, Jr. As a gay man and a professional ballet dancer, this is the first time that he has been able to perform a romantic part opposite another man.
“I love Romeo & Juliet, [especially] the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. My first time seeing it, I was blown away. So then here we are in our own stage rendition of it, and we're adding another layer where I get to dance with another guy. It's just been a joy to get to explore how I would meet someone for the first time – you know, falling in love with them,” Freeland said, when speaking with Time Out Sydney.
“One of my ‘Juliets’ is one of my best friends from college, so like, I've known Mario for a very long time… it's been nice to bring that level of caring emotion to the performance, because this is somebody that I love. Me smiling on stage is genuinely me smiling.”
Like, doesn’t that just make your heart want to burst? If you need any more incentive (or just a fun fact), artistic director Benjamin Millepied’s name might look familiar to you because he choreographed and performed in Black Swan – and casually went on to marry Natalie Portman, the star of the 2010 movie.
“I am deeply proud of L.A. Dance Project… the opportunity for our company to grace the stage of the Sydney Opera House is a dream realised,” shared Millepied. “This moment holds profound significance, not only because the Sydney Opera House is an emblem of global culture, but also because Australia and its people hold a unique space in my heart. Sydney, I eagerly anticipate our reunion!”
This strictly-limited season is like nothing you have ever seen before. The male-male pairing will perform on Wednesday, June 5 and Saturday 8 (matinee), the female-female pairing on Thursday 6 and Saturday 8 (evening), and the female-male pairing on Friday 7 and Sunday June 9. Tickets are on sale now over here.