Romeo and Juliet, Dance, Film and Gender By Luke A. Borgan

Class Outline Shakeseare Ballet Timeline Nureyev 3 min. Discussion of Nureyev’s challenge 3-4 min. Ballet Excerpt 5 min. Discussion of Gender Dynamics 5 min Zeffirelli 3-4 min. Movie Excerpt 7-8 min. Discussion of the Party Scene and Gender Dynamics 5 min. Concluding Remarks 2 min. If time permits 1996 excerpt-party scene

Presentation Aims  Review history of Shakespeare in Ballet  Discuss the challenges of Nureyev, and the gender issues in his production  Discuss Zeffirelli’s 1968 movie and the gender issues within  To discuss the adaptation of Shakespeare into ballet and cinema

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet ballet timeline  1593 Shakespeare writes play  1811 an early ballet treatment of R&J is produced in Denmark  1830 Belini composes opera: I Capuleti e I Montecchi  1935 Romeo and Juliet music and scenario is worked out  1938 The play premiers in Brno, Czechoslovakia  1940 Debut of R&J at the Kirov Theatre in Leningrad, choreographed by Levrovsky

Romeo and Juliet ballet timeline  1946 R&J produced as revival by the Bolshoi Theatre  1955 ballet of play is first seen in west in London by Zagreb ballet  1959 performance makes its way to U.S. by Bolshoi Ballet  1966 Royal Ballet version of Romeo and Juliet is filmed.  1977 Nureyev stages R&J for the London Festival Ballet

Rudolf Nureyev 1938 March 17 born in Siberia near Irkutsk studied dance, first ballet under Madame Udelstova, did walk on roles for Ufa Opera House, became apprentice member of corps de ballet 1958 studied at Leningrad Choreographic (Kirov) School, stage debut at Kirov Theatre, Leningrad 1964 staged first complete ballet 1977 world premier of Romeo and Juliet at the London Festival Ballet 1982 his production of Romeo and Juliet was filmed at Teatro alla Scalla, Milan

Interesting considerations in the Problems Nureyev Faced In the Choreography of Romeo and Juliet “The fundamental Choreographic choice remained the Same-that is, whether to stage a literally exact-albeit danced-reproduction of scenes from the play, or a danced distillation, using the play as a point of departure (Howard 92).”

Which leads us to the discussion question. With Shakespeare, how does a choreographer decide which gestures and small scenes to leave in and which to leave out?

In response, Howard, in her The staging of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as a Ballet does not give us a solution, but she says… “Nureyev bends over backwards in an attempt not so much to make something entirely different from previous versions as to delve with greater depth into the play. Its authenticity is clearly a product of imaginative thought and wide reading both in and around the play (103).”

Discussion According to the gestures and dances what does the scene from the Capulet’s Ball seem to show in regards to women?

Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet Like Nureyev, Zeffirelli chose to explore new realms with the cinematic production of Romeo and Juliet Less Victorian more Italian Balcony scene more realistic No wigs, natural longer hair-before The Beatles

Problematic Considerations of a Producer  What sort of problems might a producer face in adapting Shakespeare into a movie?  Zeffirelli’s answer…..

Discussion: More Gender Conflict  In Zeffirelli’s party scene, how are the masculine and feminine roles played out?  How does voyeurism play a part in Romeo’s encounter with Juliet?

Concluding Remarks In the text, Shakespeare, unlike the ballet and movie deals very little with gender conflict within the party scene, however I did find one very interesting passage.

Welcome, Gentlemen, ladies that have their toes Unplagued with corns will have a bout with you Capulet Act 1 Scene 5