Royal Swedish Ballet's 'Juliet and Romeo'

There are few worse feelings as a critic than feeling like the little boy in the "Emperor's New Clothes," yet when I sat down to watch the Royal Swedish Ballet's critically acclaimed and award winning rendition of "Juliet and Romeo," that is exactly what I felt like. Praised as a brilliant and emotional modern rendition of the classic story set to Tchaikovsky instead of Prokofiev, to me there is only one word to describe it: silly.

Of course, when criticizing the 2015 Olivier Award winner for Best New Dance Production, I can't help but feel like a plebeian who doesn't get it, but believe me when I say I tried. I'm not some stickler for tradition who despises all things modern. I believe there is great value in reinventing and revisiting the classics, and have enjoyed many modern versions of traditional theatre and dance. Mainly, that's because the heart and soul of the artform is preserved. That was not the case here.

We as performing arts consumers go to the ballet or the opera or the theatre to watch talented people do talented things. While hints of the true talents of the dancers peeked through the choreography every once in awhile, the movements were so simple and bizarre, almost anybody could do it (apart from the stamina and memory for choreography, of course). From crab walks, to angry stomping around the stage, to riding a Segway, to running in place, to literally rolling across the stage while laying down, very little stood out as anything but, well, silly.

The real saving grace of the production was the dancers. There was passion and fire in their movements, and you could feel their emotions even when the choreography did not reflect the same throughout.

It was refreshing to see a lead dancer who bucked the ballerina stereotype. Mariko Kida, a short, strong and very spirited Japanese dancer, played Juliet. With the strength behind her performance, it's easy to see why Juliet was listed first in the new title. Anthony Lomuljo was charming as Romeo. His chemistry with Kida was infectious.

However, J�r�me Marchand, the dancer behind Mercutio, absolutely stole the show. He seemed to be having the most fun with the concept, and not only seemed to be aware of the ridiculousness of the choreography, but he seemed to play with it too.

Mats Ek is the choreographer for "Juliet and Romeo," and is well known for his modern reinventions of the classics. Along with the choreography, the stage design and the costumes were modernized as well. Consisting of three slate grey metal walls moved around to set the stage, it was an effective use of minimalism.

The costumes, ranging from flowing robes to modern hoodies, were less effective. At times, it appeared the costumes even restricted the dancers' movements.

The lighting, however, by Linus Fellbom, was fantastic. Stark and strong and unforgiving, bright orange lights bathed the stage, casting ominous shadows that I wish the choreographer had had his dancers play with more.

Overall, I would not recommend "Juliet and Romeo" as a ballet to anyone who wants to see a ballet. For those who are fans of ultra-modern dance, and lean more towards interpretive dance, this production is perfect for you.

"Juliet and Romeo" ran through June 12 at Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For information or tickets, call 714-556-2787 or visit�www.scfta.org.