The problem with Romeo and Juliet for any ballet company is that Sergei Prokofiev’s score is so masterful, so all-consuming an artistic expression, it always feels in danger of overshadowing the dance. Many choreographers over the years have attempted to combat this dilemma, or rise to its challenge, but only a handful succeeded; English choreographer John Cranko, whose version premiered in 1962 for the Stuttgart Ballet, is one of the successes.
Australian Ballet have a long history with the production, having premiered it here in 1974. It has been 19 years since we last saw it, with a young Steven Heathcote dancing the role of Romeo and Simone Goldsmith as Juliet. This very familiarity makes the work a kind of litmus test not only for the principal dancers but the company as a whole – a measure of its general health.
