WHO IS ROMEO?

Louis Musin, soloist with the Hamburg Ballet on Shakespeare’s iconic, tragic character, one of the ultimate romantic heroes

Not everyone knows who the most memorable characters in the dance world are. In each issue, we talk with a dancer of a renowned ballet company to find out the who’s who among the most famous and iconic figures in ballet

A Column by Alessandro BIZZOTTO

“At the beginning of the ballet, Romeo does not know what love is. He does not understand what it truly means to fall in love with someone, and in that sense, he is very innocent,” Louis Musin tells me as we begin discussing the male lead in Romeo and Juliet and I ask how he would describe him. “In the first part of Act One, he has this idea of a relationship with Rosalind – a very playful one, nothing serious. For him, it seems fulfilling enough to pursue a beautiful, well-respected woman, and in his eyes that is love. He leads a carefree life, enjoying himself with his friends, but then he attends the ball and meets Juliet. The moment he sees her, everything changes completely – John Neumeier has always tried to make me understand this pivotal moment. It is when everything shifts. It’s almost as if Romeo no longer knows how to act, as these feelings are far stronger than anything he has ever experienced. Romeo and Juliet share an intense, youthful, naïve love. I mean, they meet and marry almost immediately! Their love is so all-consuming that they are willing to give up everything – their families, their futures, even their own lives in the end – for each other.”

© Kiran West