Australian Premiere Season Announced For Ballet BC's ROMEO + JULIET

Tuesday 26 November, 2019. To mark their Australian debut, internationally revered Canadian dance company Ballet BC will present a bold and emotive reimagining of the timeless love story of Romeo + Juliet. The exclusive season will be presented in the Joan Sutherland Theatre from 10 - 14 June, 2020.

Acclaimed French choreographer Medhi Walerski's (Nederlands Dans Theater) adaptation of Romeo + Juliet as a contemporary ballet delivers an examination of time honoured themes such as the coexistence of love and hate, social discord and forbidden romance. This tale of tragic star-crossed lovers plays masterfully with tradition and contemporaneity as Walerski pays subtle homage to the ballet's Shakespearean roots against Sergei Prokofiev's powerful 1938 score. Walerski's refined costuming together with a minimalistic set and sleek design complements the crisp and dynamic movement of the company of dancers.

Romeo + Juliet typifies the pulsating, provocative work Ballet BC is known for under Artistic Director, Emily Molnar. Last year, Molnar celebrated a decade with Ballet BC, and now the Sydney Opera House season will be her last before taking the reigns as Artistic Director of the Nederlands Dans Theater. Molnar, who was named a Member of the Order of Canada for her contribution to the arts, has been described as being instrumental to the stellar rise of Ballet BC, the contemporary dance scene in Vancouver, and its international reputation for emotive, exhilarating and physically precise dance work.

Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance, Olivia Ansell, says: "We are thrilled to welcome Canada's Ballet BC to the Sydney Opera House in this exclusive performance of Romeo + Juliet. Medhi Walerski's full length work is a unique exploration of a familiar tale that plays creatively with plot and choreography to unlock the infamous story of the Montagues and Capulets. Ballet BC is one of the world's most sought after dance companies right now and we're delighted to present the Australian premiere of this distinctive, Olivier -ominated company."

Contemporary Performance at the Sydney Opera House champions modern storytellers, pop-culture visionaries and work that is bold, entertaining and genre-defying. The program presents the best Australian and international productions including theatre, music theatre, contemporary dance, comedy, cabaret, circus, magic and pop culture. In recent years the program has featured presentations from the Michael Keeghan-Dolan Company, Ballet Preljocaj's contemporary retelling of Snow White, Jakop Ahlbom's chilling production of Horror, Sharon Eyal's LOVE CYCLE by LEV Dance Company and Natalia Osipova's Pure Dance starring David Hallberg (American Ballet Theatre). Up next is the 2019 Helpmann Award winner Hofesh Shechter's Grand Finale, and the worldwide sensation SIX The Musical in the Studio, opening January 2020.

Tickets on sale to the general public Monday 2 December, 9am AEDT. Click here for more information.