The award-winning ballet "Romeo and Juliet," produced by the Rijeka Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc, will grace the stage of the Split National Theatre (HNK Split) on Wednesday, February 7th, starting at 7:30 PM. Choreographed by the renowned Czech choreographer Jiří Bubeníček and set to the emotive music of Sergei Prokofiev, the Rijeka ballet ensemble will bring to life the dance drama of the senseless death of two young individuals, the most famous lovers in world literature.
Taking on the lead roles are Maria Matarranz de las Heras, a Spanish dancer residing in Rijeka, who received the Croatian Theatre Award for her portrayal of Juliet, and Michele Pastorini as Romeo.
The ballet "Romeo and Juliet" perfectly reflects the ecstasy of love and the desire for that feeling to last forever, despite discouraging circumstances. While often considered a tale of love and its power, the themes of the show primarily revolve around violence, chaos, confusion, and death. "It is a performance about love and violence, a type of violence that we can still encounter on the streets today. The story is a vast maze of decisions and actions that unfold over a short period of four days. Very violent scenes alternate with love and new possibilities, creating situations filled with diverse expectations," says the costume designer of the show, Nadina Bubeníček Cojocaru.
Jiří Bubeníček, a dancer and choreographer, graduated from the Prague Conservatory for Dance. As one of the winners of the prestigious Prix de Lausanne in 1992, he secured a place in the Hamburg Ballet of John Neumeier, where he became the principal dancer in 1997. Neumeier choreographed the role of Vaslav Nijinsky specifically for him in his ballet "Nijinsky." Jiří proved to be an exceptional dancer in all his roles. Since 1999, he has been involved in independent productions and choreography. Some of his most notable works include "Unerreichbare Orte" for the Hamburg Ballet (2005), "Le Souffle de l’Esprit" for the Zurich Ballet (2007), and "Toccata" for the New York City Ballet (2009). More recently, he has created acclaimed choreographies for the Slovenian National Theatre in Ljubljana, Ballet of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, the Royal Swedish Ballet, Ballet of the Teatro dell'Opera Roma, Nuovo Balletto di Toscana, and the Ballet of La Scala in Milan.