Bolshoi Managing Director Anatoli Iksanov told a news conference in the British capital Monday that the company would not have been able to put on this and other modern ballets if the new stage weren't up and running.
According to him, Bolshoi's "Romeo and Juliet" is an experimental production, unconventional in terms of both choreography and stage design. It is a collaboration between a choreographer and a dramatic theater director. The Bolshoi invited Donnellan to stage "Romeo and Juliet" because he is a specialist with many Shakespearean plays to his credit, and has vast experience in collaborating with Russian theatrical companies, Iksanov explained.
At first, there were fears that the director and the choreographer, Moldova's Radu Poklitaru, wouldn't go along, the Bolshoi Managing Director said. But when the first episode was presented on stage, it became clear that the project would work out and that it would be interesting for both Donnellan, Poklitaru, and the Bolshoi company.
The Bolshoi's Artistic Director, Alexei Ratmansky, said, for his part, that the theater's London performances, young dancers-Anastasia Meskova and Denis Savin-would appear in lead parts as well as more experienced counterparts. "These are their first big roles, and we hope the audience will appreciate their talents," Ratmansky said at a preview press conference.
