A performance 30 years ago inspired Indianapolis' 'Romeo and Juliet' ballet

Indianapolis is about to see the first major collaboration among Indianapolis Ballet, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Clowes Memorial Hall. On Friday and Saturday, the three organizations will produce the lush and tragic story of the famed "Romeo and Juliet" with choreography tailored for the Circle City.

The roots of the performances go back 30 years, when Victoria Lyras, now Indianapolis Ballet's founding artistic director, played one of the original Juliets in choreographer Septime Webre's version at the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey. The anniversary was on Lyras' mind last year when the Indianapolis institutions began discussing a collaboration, so she suggested the work.

"I think the excitement of doing a brand new production with such great music of (Sergei) Prokofiev was appealing to everybody, to all of us across the board," Lyras said.

"Romeo and Juliet" — which is based on the play by Shakespeare and which uses Prokofiev's music composed around 1935 — has become a staple for orchestras and ballet companies around the world.

Indianapolis' version is particularly special for Lyras because of her personal experience with the work. Before the performance, IndyStar spoke with her about the choreography, working with Webre, the dancers starring as the title characters and more.

Lyras was one of the first Juliets in Webre's version

In 1994, a then-35-year-old Lyras, nearing the end of her dancing career, was chosen as one of two dancers who would alternate in what she calls a dream role. She worked closely with Webre, who's become well-known as an artistic director and educator, as he developed choreography that played to Lyras' technical and artistic strengths.

"I think that being a mature, seasoned dancer and very musical, I think the dramatic interpretation of the role was what really inspired me. And I think it inspired Septime because he gave me steps," Lyras said. "But steps are only steps unless you bring the character to life. I think that fact, that we worked so many hours closely together in developing the role ... the potion scene, the death scene — all those things were very, very personal to me."

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Big talent fills the title roles

Throughout rehearsals for the current production, Lyras has coached Indianapolis' Juliet: Yoshiko Kamikusa. The artistic director calls the lead the complete package who has artistry, the technique necessary to execute it and a mind able to take on new ideas.

"One cannot just be a good, strong dancer. You have to be a smart dancer, and you have to be able to visualize ... what you want the audience to see," Lyras said.

Playing Romeo is Trevor PinterParsons, who Lyras said brings youth, energy and curiosity.

"The role is really highly demanding on both characters but she dances (and) he has to do a lot of lifts and a lot of manipulation to make her look gorgeous," she said.

The leading couple are part of Indianapolis Ballet's professional company, whose members help comprise the expansive production. More than 50 dancers — including those enrolled in the company's Indianapolis School of Ballet — will perform in "Romeo and Juliet," Lyras said.

How Webre leaves his stamp on the choreography

Since the 1994 American Repertory Ballet production, Webre's "Romeo and Juliet" has evolved through several iterations. He went on to become artistic director of the Washington Ballet, where he built on the original steps to accommodate more dancers and play to their strengths, Lyras said. More recently, Webre, who is now the artistic director of Hong Kong Ballet, created a "Romeo and Juliet" set in 1960s Hong Kong, complete with the city's street life embedded into its set design.

Influences from Webre's previous productions have found their way into the new version that will premiere this weekend.

"His pas de deux is quite intense. It has a lot of choreography. But I think his street scenes, you see the edginess of his choreography," Lyras said. "He has his own style. It's like nobody else's."

How the ballet is organized

"Romeo and Juliet" is divided into two parts. Before intermission, the audience is introduced to the lovers' romance and the feud between the Capulets and Montagues. The ensuing chain of events includes a secret marriage, a fight that ends with two deaths and the famous ramifications of Juliet's decision to drink a sleeping potion.

Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will conduct the Indianapolis Symphony in one of Prokofiev's most beloved works. "Romeo and Juliet" was a Soviet commission meant for the Kirov Theatre — now known as the Mariinsky Theatre. The ballet eventually premiered on stage a few years after it was composed, after enduring the Soviet Union's strict rules for art. as arrests and executions escalated during Stalin's Great Terror.

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Look for a traditional setting and talented Hoosiers

Just as in Shakespeare's play, Indianapolis' "Romeo and Juliet" is set in Verona, Italy, and Lyras' costume designs draw on the Italian Renaissance style. The time period and its details were particularly important, she said.

"I cannot imagine the sword fight without the foils, the sound of the foils," Lyras said.

More Hoosier talent will be on display for the set and lighting at Clowes, which has been designed by C. David Higgins, the retired longtime master scenic artist at Indiana University Opera Theater, and David Lapham, who has worked on many Indianapolis projects, including Newfields' Winterlights. Other Indiana contributors include Indianapolis-based Tyler Scenic for scenic design craftsmanship.

"This is an Indianapolis production," Lyras said. "We kept everything within the state."

'Romeo and Juliet' in Indianapolis: If you go

What: "Romeo and Juliet" with the Indianapolis Ballet and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

When: 7:30 p.m. May 3. 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. May 4

Where: 4602 Sunset Ave. at Butler University

Tickets: $15 and up. butlerartscenter.org

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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: A performance 30 years ago inspired Indianapolis' 'Romeo and Juliet'