04.12.2012
The Voice Of Juliet
The entire theatre is currently living and breathing the upcoming première of Romeo and Juliet. The various creative and technical departments are all playing their part in putting on the production but, naturally, the ballet studios are the main hive of activity. Here are some brief comments made during a break between rehearsals which will give you an idea of the feelings and expectations of the artists involved in the show.
Natalia Osipova (Juliet)
“I think that Romeo and Juliet is one the most important shows this season, if not the most important. It is a large-scale, enthralling work, and when performing it I realize that this is the artistic freedom I have always dreamed of, this is the interesting role I have yearned for. Working with Nacho Duato is like learning a new, complex, and beautiful language. He has such a fine-tuned perception of the music — picking up on this yourself gives you an incredible sense of satisfaction. We rehearse from morning until late in the evening, and we leave the practice room tired but extremely happy.”
Andrey Yakhnyuk (Mercutio)
“Mercutio is a very interesting character — I like him even more than I like Romeo. Somehow I feel closer to him spiritually. Before we started rehearsals, I discussed how to portray him with Nacho Duato. He said that Mercutio should be cheerful, even a bit crazy, and constantly messing around or teasing someone — a mischievous character. But at the same time he is Romeo’s best friend, so he helps and supports him. And he is killed because of Romeo... In other words, it turns out that this friendship also brings about his death.
Nacho has laid the foundations for the character through his movements. His demonstrations are very useful — they are completely different from those of the assistants. The assistants only demonstrate the choreography, which Nacho then corrects, but he also sees something extra behind each movement. For instance, if I shake my hand, he’ll say something like “Pretend you’re shaking water off your fingers”. We’re now very familiar with his language; we understand it almost as if it were our mother tongue. I would say that the performance contains many natural movements. For example, the brawl in the street in which my character dies is completely different to what you usually see. They don’t fight or fence; in fact Mercutio doesn’t even have a sword.
I watched a video of the Spanish production. They’re very good, of course, but our performance will be more interesting. The ballet will look different; the main characters have more dancing to do. I still haven’t seen the whole show, but it has plenty of interesting moments and details. It will be fascinating to see how it all comes together in the end.”
Andrey Kasyanenko (Tybalt).
“My character is one of the most vivid in the whole show. I also danced the part of Tybalt in Oleg Vinogradov’s production, but this new version simply can’t be compared to the previous one. The focus this time is definitely on different elements. I would really like to give you an idea of the whole show, but at the moment I can’t envisage it in all its glory. So far I’ve only seen a sketch of my character’s costume, and I’m really looking forward to getting the real thing. Once I’m wearing it, and standing in front of the mirror — that’s when I’ll really get into the role.
I don’t know what my character will look like, but I know what he’s like inside. He is brutal, and direct. Unlike Mercutio, who is rather childish, Tybalt is serious. He knows what is right, and if believes something is unacceptable, he’s not going to put up with it. Mercutio and Romeo are happy-go-lucky, whilst Tybalt prefers to go by the book. Perhaps following conventional values I shouldn’t like him, but he is a vivid character, and as an artist I understand him. To a large extent I will make him my own.
The rehearsals are fascinating, and not too gruelling, although there are some physically demanding passages. I’ve seen practically all the scenes that I’m involved in. I really like a dance in the second act called Dance with Handkerchiefs, performed by the Montagues. It’s a great dance. And I think my part will turn out well. The most important thing is to go into the première with the right degree of confidence.”
Natalia Osipova (Juliet)
“I think that Romeo and Juliet is one the most important shows this season, if not the most important. It is a large-scale, enthralling work, and when performing it I realize that this is the artistic freedom I have always dreamed of, this is the interesting role I have yearned for. Working with Nacho Duato is like learning a new, complex, and beautiful language. He has such a fine-tuned perception of the music — picking up on this yourself gives you an incredible sense of satisfaction. We rehearse from morning until late in the evening, and we leave the practice room tired but extremely happy.”
Andrey Yakhnyuk (Mercutio)
“Mercutio is a very interesting character — I like him even more than I like Romeo. Somehow I feel closer to him spiritually. Before we started rehearsals, I discussed how to portray him with Nacho Duato. He said that Mercutio should be cheerful, even a bit crazy, and constantly messing around or teasing someone — a mischievous character. But at the same time he is Romeo’s best friend, so he helps and supports him. And he is killed because of Romeo... In other words, it turns out that this friendship also brings about his death.
Nacho has laid the foundations for the character through his movements. His demonstrations are very useful — they are completely different from those of the assistants. The assistants only demonstrate the choreography, which Nacho then corrects, but he also sees something extra behind each movement. For instance, if I shake my hand, he’ll say something like “Pretend you’re shaking water off your fingers”. We’re now very familiar with his language; we understand it almost as if it were our mother tongue. I would say that the performance contains many natural movements. For example, the brawl in the street in which my character dies is completely different to what you usually see. They don’t fight or fence; in fact Mercutio doesn’t even have a sword.
I watched a video of the Spanish production. They’re very good, of course, but our performance will be more interesting. The ballet will look different; the main characters have more dancing to do. I still haven’t seen the whole show, but it has plenty of interesting moments and details. It will be fascinating to see how it all comes together in the end.”
Andrey Kasyanenko (Tybalt).
“My character is one of the most vivid in the whole show. I also danced the part of Tybalt in Oleg Vinogradov’s production, but this new version simply can’t be compared to the previous one. The focus this time is definitely on different elements. I would really like to give you an idea of the whole show, but at the moment I can’t envisage it in all its glory. So far I’ve only seen a sketch of my character’s costume, and I’m really looking forward to getting the real thing. Once I’m wearing it, and standing in front of the mirror — that’s when I’ll really get into the role.
I don’t know what my character will look like, but I know what he’s like inside. He is brutal, and direct. Unlike Mercutio, who is rather childish, Tybalt is serious. He knows what is right, and if believes something is unacceptable, he’s not going to put up with it. Mercutio and Romeo are happy-go-lucky, whilst Tybalt prefers to go by the book. Perhaps following conventional values I shouldn’t like him, but he is a vivid character, and as an artist I understand him. To a large extent I will make him my own.
The rehearsals are fascinating, and not too gruelling, although there are some physically demanding passages. I’ve seen practically all the scenes that I’m involved in. I really like a dance in the second act called Dance with Handkerchiefs, performed by the Montagues. It’s a great dance. And I think my part will turn out well. The most important thing is to go into the première with the right degree of confidence.”
