Star-crossed lovers

Published on September 21, 2007

You may have seen various stage and screen versions of William Shakespeare's immortal tale of passion, conflict, destiny, love, and death many times, but Compagnia Aterballeto's one-act contemporary ballet will not be like any you've ever watched.

Based in the city of Reggio Emilia, this 28-year-old company is Italy's principal dance company for production and distribution and first permanent ballet producing body apart from opera house companies. The man who has been at the helm for the past 10 years, also the choreographer of "Romeo and Juliet", is artistic director Mauro Bigonzetti, a veteran of the world ballet scene.

Debuted in May 2006, the contemporary ballet "Romeo and Juiet" is one of the best representatives of Aterballeto's works today.

In his notes, Bigonzetti writes, "It's the very structure of man that's represented, not so much the personages but the forces that drove them to commit an extreme gesture. It's love that unleashes passions. It unfailingly pushes human beings to their limits, driving them at breakneck speed the places where it's the soul that decides, giving vent to instincts one thought were assuaged, that magnify the value of a meeting and that lead to the violent recklessness of a collision."

The production also features eye-catching set and costume designs by world-renowned Italian installation artist Fabrizio Plessi, who adds to Bigonzetti's notes, "All of us have airbags to protect our bodies from the violent impacts we may be subjected to at any time in life. But haven't we ever wondered about what kind of airbags we possess to protect our souls?"

"Romeo and Juiet were two adolescents who slammed into the hard wall of love with no protective devices. The crash helmets, the carbon-fibre jumpsuits and all the rest of the protective measures that, in the final analysis, all of us rely on in life are simply useless."

"In order to enter at full speed ahead into the depths of a fellow human being's soul you don't need any sophisticated satellite navigation equipment. It's our adrenaline - the only extraordinary bypass - that will carry us straight to the heart."

Let's prepare for a thrilling ride.

Presented by the Embassy of Italy, Compagnia Aterballeto's 'Romeo and Juliet' will be performed at 7.30pm on Thursday at Thailand Cultural Centre. Tickets are Bt3,000, Bt2,200, Bt1,700, Bt1,300, and Bt600, available at Thaiticketmajor. For more on Bangkok's Ninth International Festival of Music and Dance, see www.bangkokfestivals.com.

Pawit Mahasarinand  

The writer can be contacted at Pawit.M@chula.ac.th.