Productions

Choreographer Elias Garcia Herrera
Music composer Sergei Prokofjev
Set design by Ramón Ivars
Costume design by Elias Garcia Herrera
Light design by Jaume Cañasveras
The libretto has been adapted by Elias Garcia, based on the original libretto by Sergei Radlov, Adrian Piotrovsky, Leonid Lavrovsky, and Sergei Prokofjev

William Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet", penned in the 16th century, is a literary cornerstone that delves into the enduring and deep themes of love and familial strife. It tells of young lovers, Romeo and Juliet, thwarted by their feuding families. The play deeply contemplates the fervor of young love and societal constraints.

True love’s power to transcend the gravest of obstacles, like the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, is central to the narrative. Despite challenges, the couple remains steadfast in their emotions, with their choices sealing their fateful conclusion.

In essence, "Romeo and Juliet" is a testament to love’s strength against formidable odds, showcasing Shakespeare’s insight into love’s complexities and the human heart’s resilience.

In choreographer Elias Garcia’s innovative vision, Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet" is reinterpreted starting with a significant and symbolic shift: the title becomes "Juliet and Romeo". This change reflects a deliberate reorientation of the story’s focus, placing Juliet as the central and symbolic figure of the narrative, showcasing Garcia’s intent to empower Juliet by challenging and reshaping traditional gender roles from the start.

Garcia’s title realignment aligns with a modern feminist perspective. Juliet is seen not as a damsel in distress but as a figure of empowerment and resistance within a patriarchal context, defying gender norms of her era to represent autonomy and agency in a society where women were exchanged among men.

The dynamic between Juliet and Romeo becomes a reversal of traditional gender roles, with Juliet often taking the lead and exerting control, especially highlighted in the balcony scene where she emerges as a dominant figure both physically and verbally.

The Ballet de Catalunya’s production, directed by Garcia, embodies this vision with choreography that blends neoclassical and contemporary elements, including the special integration of stick dancing, a distinctive Catalan folkloric element symbolizing Juliet’s fight for autonomy and against social constraints. Ramon Ivars’ set design plays a critical role, adding visual depth and symbolizing Juliet’s potential for transcendence and emancipation within a patriarchal society.

Garcia positions Juliet as a sort of proto-feminist fictional character, in contrast to Christine de Pizan, one of the earliest feminists in reality. This reinterpretation not only pays homage to de Pizan but also underscores the relevance and power of female characters in literature and their contemporary reimagining.

Through "Juliet and Romeo", Garcia aims to contribute to today’s society by promoting women’s equality and acknowledging the importance of female voices in history and literature. This vision seeks to inspire a more equitable and empowered perspective of female characters, reflecting the ongoing struggle for gender equality in the modern world.