Romeo and Juliet Ballet - Sergei Prokofiev

Prokofiev's ballet premiered in Brno in 1938. The ballet was based on a synopsis by Adrian Piotrovsky. Though the ballet premiered in the Czech Republic, it was not successful there. It wasn't until the 1940 Kirov production, choreographiced by Leonid Lavrovsky and Galina Ulanova and a score revision did it find success. There have been many other choreographers who have created movement for Prokofiev's compelling score:

1955 - Frederick Ashton for the Royal Danish Ballet
1965 - Sir Kenneth MacMillan for the Stuttgart Ballet
1971 - John Neumeier for the Frankfurt Ballet
1977 - Rudolf Nureyev for the English National Ballet
1979 - Yuri Grigorovich for the Bolshoi Ballet
1985 - Laszlo Seregi for the Hungarian National Ballet

I have included three separate versions and several clips of the Dance of the Knights scene. Prokofiev's music is very powerful.

Royal Ballet - Nureyev & Fonteyn - Choreography by MacMillan

1966 Production by the Royal Ballet. This is the finest story ballet production I have seen to date. MacMillan's choreography treads a fine line by servicing both Shakespeare's tale and showcasing the many talents of the Royal Ballet in 1966. The Royal Opera orchestra is conducted by John Lanchberry -- a dancers favorite conductor. This is both great ballet and great drama.

All aspects of this production are nulli secondus, - second to none. The camera work is unbelievably crisp for 60+ year old technology. Lighting, staging, choreography, blocking and acting all work togehter to tell the timeless story with the bonus of riding atop Serge Prokofiev's brilliant score. Of course, the best part of this production is the legendary casting of Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. Their chemistry is undeniable, profound, and visceral.