Monte Carlo Ballet Company Returns to Korea After 4 Years with 'Romeo and Juliet' Performance

13-15 Il Art Center and 19 Il Gangneung Art Center
Principal Dancer An Jaeyong on Stage as 'Tybalt'

The Royal Ballet of Monaco-Monte Carlo, famous for its groundbreaking performances, is returning to Korea after four years to perform 'Romeo and Juliet.'

The Monte Carlo Ballet's 'Romeo and Juliet' was presented as a licensed performance by the National Ballet in 2013, selling out all shows. The Monte Carlo Ballet will perform 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Seoul Arts Center from the 13th to the 15th. Prior to this, they completed performances at Daegu Suseong Artpia on the 7th and 8th, and are scheduled to perform at the Gangneung Arts Center on the 19th.

Jean-Christophe Maillot, the artistic director of the Royal Ballet of Monte Carlo, is personally directing this performance. Maillot's productions are praised for their freedom and freshness, breaking away from tradition. The stage costumes are almost revolutionary, and the dynamic stage design is three-dimensional and lively. The stage is very simple, with almost no props used.

Monte Carlo Royal Ballet performance at Daegu Suseong Artpia [Photo by Labora Arts Planning]

The Monte Carlo Ballet's 'Romeo and Juliet' focuses more on the representation of love and death, especially death, rather than on the plot description.

The climax occurs in Act 2, Scene 3, where the entire stage is presented like a slow-motion video screen as Romeo kills Tybalt. The dying Mercutio, the shocked crowd, the fearful Tybalt, and Romeo enraged by his friend's death all perform an impressive scene while listening to tragic music played at normal speed. Maillot also devised a new way for Romeo to die in Act 3, Scene 2. After confirming Juliet's death, Romeo ends his life by striking his chest against the corner of her bed.

Juliet is portrayed as a character with a tomboyish and spirited personality, which seems intended to express more honest emotions. For example, in the bedroom scene, a nervous Juliet slaps Romeo's cheek. Juliet hitting Romeo is unfamiliar, but this single action compresses the future misfortunes that will befall Romeo because he killed Tybalt.

In this Korea tour, the only Korean principal dancer in the company, ballerino Ahn Jae-yong, will perform the role of Tybalt. Ahn joined Monte Carlo in 2016. Starting with the corps de ballet, he took on major roles from his first year and was promoted to second soloist in 2017. With the trust of Director Maillot, he was promoted two ranks within a year to principal dancer.

Monte Carlo Royal Ballet performance at Daegu Suseong Artpia [Photo by Labora Arts Planning]

The Monte Carlo Ballet was founded in 1932, succeeding the Ballets Russes, which was disbanded after the death of the legendary ballerino Sergei Diaghilev in 1929. After a complex history of splits and disbandments, it was reborn as the Royal Ballet in 1985 by Princess Caroline of Monaco, who had a special affection for ballet.

Maillot has served as artistic director since 1993. He studied dance and piano at the National Conservatory of Tours and trained at the Rosella Hightower International Dance School. He won the Lausanne Competition in 1977 and was selected by John Neumeier of the Hamburg Ballet, performing as a soloist for five years.

Maillot served as artistic advisor to the Monte Carlo Ballet during the 1992-1993 season and was appointed artistic director and choreographer by the Princess of Monaco in 1993. He has created over 40 ballets for the Monte Carlo Ballet, including 'Romeo and Juliet,' 'Cinderella,' 'La Belle,' 'Altro Canto,' and 'Faust.' He has received the Cultural Medal of the Principality of Monaco and the French Order of Arts and Letters, and in 2008 won the Benois de la Danse Best Choreographer Award in Moscow for 'Faust.' In 2015, he won three Golden Mask Awards, including Best Performance, for 'The Taming of the Shrew.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.