Matjaz Marin and Tijuana Krizman in "Radio and Juliet." Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes.

Edward Clug, choreographer and avid Radiohead fan, did a wonderful job with his 2005 creation for Ballet Maribor, Radio and Juliet.  The performance at the Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts was set to the music of Radiohead, an English alternative rock band formed in 1985. This is a very odd choice for a ballet, especially one telling the story of Romeo and Juliet. A ballet is usually set to classical music like that of composers like Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, who composed for earlier versions of Romeo and Juliet.

Radio and Juliet  retells William Shakespeare’s story from the point of view of Juliet. The evening begins with a video of the performers dancing and practicing, video of Juliet is incorporated periodically throughout the show, filling a huge projector screen backstage. During the initial film (or another word for video or projection) the entire cast walks on the stage. The last performer to enter is the artist playing Juliet, a Slovenian dancer, Tijuana Krizman Hudernik— the only woman in the group. She dances skillfully, with conviction, and matching the men’s moves and putting a feminine spin on them, to the robotic music playing with many sharp accents. She does not wear pointe shoes –a very modern choice.

Next, enter the remaining performers, seven male dancers who are dressed identically in black suits. It is difficult to figure out which of the well known characters they might be because they all look alike. They dance in superb synchronized rhythm. Their moves are performed more sleekly than Juliet’s. Though the show does not completely follow Shakespeare’s original story line, there are still some recognizable elements such as: the fight scenes, the marriage scene, and the famed death scene which had an added twist.

The music of Radiohead was a perfect fit for this production. Before watching this show I had not been familiar with them but after watching the beautiful dancing done to the music I was curious about their music. This production is perfect for the generation that is always in a hurry, as Radio and Juliet is short and sweet, clocking in at only 60 minutes. I definitely recommend Radio and Juliet.