Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Seth Orza and Carla Körbes in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette. Photo © Angela Sterling.
Last week, Pacific Northwest Ballet made its first appearance in New York City since 1996. After one evening of a Balanchine triple bill, the Seattle-based company, led by artistic director and former New York City Ballet principal dancer Peter Boal, performed Jean-Christophe Maillot’s full-length Roméo et Juliette for its remaining three performances at New York City Center. This contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragic love story uses Prokofiev’s score (performed marvelously by the Pacific Northwest Ballet orchestra, with Emil de Cou conducting) but takes great liberty with the narrative. The sensual, gesture-rich choreography is the most significant trait of this striking version of the well-known play, with Carla Körbes and Seth Orza giving radiant, captivating performances in the title roles.
