Marcos Morau brings a brand-new version of Romeo + Juliet

Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau is one of the most renowned and sought-after choreographers. In 2023, he was named Choreographer of the Year by the international dance press. Together with his company La Veronal, he is a regular guest at prestigious theatres and renowned festivals from Avignon to the Venice Biennale. He has also worked with the dancers of the Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon, Zurich Ballet and the Nederlands Dans Theater, among others. He is now making his debut at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.

For Morau, choreography is more than just movement. It’s an essential part of a visual and conceptual composition in which the boundaries between dance, theatre, film and visual arts blur. He immerses his stories in dark, surreal dream worlds that evoke associations with filmmakers such as David Lynch and Luis Buñuel. His dance language is characterised by complex structures and unpredictable rhythms. Combined with a strong sense of aesthetics, all this makes him one of the most influential choreographers of today.

For this brand-new production, Romeo + Juliet, Morau has drawn inspiration from Shakespeare’s classic story and the music of Sergei Prokofiev. But don’t expect a traditional narrative. Morau creates a dark world as if you have ended up in a nightmare. He abandons the traditional storyline and transforms it into an associative vision.

“When you talk about Romeo and Juliet, everyone imagines a love story. In our version of the piece, you will see much less love and much more of the violence that is evoked by Shakespeare and Prokofiev. The characters of Romeo and Juliet are only present as metaphors for love, in the form of two children. In this case, love is represented by the innocence of these two children,” the choreographer explains about his vision. “Romeo and Juliet love each other so much, but it is precisely the impossibility of being together that drives them to madness. Their love is constantly sabotaged by life, society, their families. It drives them mad with desire. At the same time, their desire to be together is so pure and intense, precisely because they are so young. That inconsistency makes them epic characters.”

It is Morau’s first time working with a classical ballet score performed by a live orchestra. He chose to work with a short version of Prokofiev’s composition that contains all the musical highlights, including the forceful ‘Dance of the Knights’. Internationally renowned conductor and ballet specialist Gavin Sutherland, will guide the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen Symphony Orchestra through this monumental score.

Together with the sumptuous costumes by Silvia Delagneau, an impressive scenographic concept by Max Glaenzel and the refined lighting design by Bernat Jansà, this Romeo + Juliet promises to be not only a highlight of the dance season, but also an immersive, sensory experience that sheds a fresh light on an iconic story.

Romeo + Juliet will premiere at Opera Ghent on Saturday 15 March at 8:00 PM and at Opera Antwerp on Thursday 3 April at 8:00 PM. For all performance dates and bookings, click here.

Romeo + Juliet, Photo by Max Glaenzel