Over Valentine’s Day weekend, students at the Interlochen Arts Academy performed a spectacular ballet adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic story, Romeo and Juliet. The performance masterfully captured the atmosphere of the play, originally published in 1597, through the art of dance. Beginning with the tragic conflict, which began a major feud, between the Montague and Capulet houses, the ballet follows the story of the young star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. They tragically meet their demise by their own hands at the end of the show when they both believe the other has died and prefer to die rather than being without their true love.

  After viewing the performance, our favorite scene ended up being the famous balcony scene where Romeo and Juliet confess their secret love for one another and vow to get married. We thought it was incredible that such a classic and emotional scene was able to be conveyed so well through dance, and the glittering costumes and moonlight-like lighting made it an unforgettable moment that perfectly captured the essence of the timeless scene.

  The atmosphere of the performance was beautiful. The digital background used by the theater provided a unique immersive experience that was further enhanced by the gorgeous costuming, which felt right out of a story book and glided through the air with the dancers movements. The expert level of performance is hard to beat locally and with student discounts for tickets, the Arts Academy offers professional ballet, theater, and musical performances with international talent essentially right in Traverse City’s backyard. The next upcoming student performance is a show called Viragos, which will run from March 13th to 15th, and due to the quality of the performance of Romeo and Juliet and other recent events, we will be sure to get our tickets and experience another night of excellent local theatre.