Romeo & Juliet Suite

In this piece, Benjamin Millepied harnesses his propulsive style, a fusion of ballet and contemporary movement, to revisit Prokofiev’s iconic ballet in a contemporary, site-specific take blending dance, theater, and film.

Through the use of handheld cameras, the audience is taken on a journey which far exceeds the parameters of a traditional stage setting with live video transmitted to onstage screens that follows the action in different tableaux and locations both backstage and throughout the Armory. The dance-drama plays with the ideas of theatricality and reality and features a condensed version of Shakespeare’s story that distills the narrative to its essentials, focusing on the undying love of the central couple and the explosive emotions elicited. Each performance features a different cast as the star-crossed lovers, departing from traditional gender norms to highlight diverse couples—male/female, male/male, female/female—in a universal celebration of love. Millepied thus presents the mythical tale through a modern and original lens, rediscovering its beauty in a fresh and inspired interpretation of the tragic story.