Ballet Frontier in Fort Worth is hosting the world premiere of Romeo & Juliet over Valentine’s Day weekend.
Ballet Frontier’s website describes the show as, “A heartbreaking tale of young love and loss set to one of ballet’s favorite scores.”
The performance is choreographed by Artistic Director Chung Lin Tseng and scored by Sergei Prokofiev.
Tseng said the show is intended to evoke memories of love from audience members, especially their own love stories. “My wife and I, we’ve been married 29 years. It’s almost like time has never passed, like every day is the first day,” Tseng told CBS News Texas.
Originally written by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet tells the tragic story of young lovers from feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The story has been retold and adapted many times since it was originally performed, most recently in the updated version of the musical West Side Story from 2021 directed by Steven Spielberg.
West Side Story updates the story, moving the timeline to the 1950s, setting the story in the Upper West Side of New York, and making the feud between two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks.
Perry Meadors, a dancer with Ballet Frontier, said the timeless play is universally relatable since everyone experiences a first love with intense feelings.
“Romeo and Juliet is something that everyone can connect to; the emotions are high, it’s something you relate to, your first love… it’s a great love story. Who doesn’t love that?” Meadors told CBS.
Frontier Ballet will host Romeo & Juliet for two performances:
- Saturday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, February 18 at 2:00 p.m.
The performances will be at the I.M. Terrell Performing Arts Center, 1900 IM Terrell Way, Fort Worth. Tickets can be purchased on the Ballet Frontier website.
