Bellet Maribor performing "Radio and Juliet. Photo Credit: Karli Cadel.

I bet William Shakespeare never would’ve imagined in his wildest dreams that his classic character, Romeo, would be replaced by the music of  an English alternative rock band called Radiohead.

Radiohead and Juliet performed by the Slovenian Company, Ballet Maribor, takes the classic love story  Romeo and Juliet  to a whole new level. 

Being unfamiliar with the group Radiohead, I was curious as to what the performance was going to be like.  I couldn’t quite figure out how one of the most famous plays coincided with modern music.  I soon found out.  In order to modernize this play, the show combines statuesque ballet with modern hip-hop moves. It all comes together to create a memorable evening.

The ballet begins with a black and white film featuring the dancers.  A few minutes into the film the first foot hits the stage.  From that point forward the combination of dancing and music captivates the audience.

Watching the performance, I felt as though I was in a modernized version of the Globe Theater where Shakespeare performed his plays, even though I was sitting in the Skirball Center on the NYU campus.

The contrast of the young and fresh hip-hop moves alongside the classic ballet creates a striking contrast.  Sensory overload to say the least. The flexibility of the male dancers is visually a stimulating contrast against Juliet, who moves as if she is a puppet hanging from an unyielding string. The dancer who plays Juliet is able to convey expression and passion in an understated way.  If only we could see this in English class.

This show is suitable for every age group. The modern techno lights and the clean and swift moves make the ballet a delectable treat for a younger audience.  For the older crowd, it offers phenomenal ballet technique and a new perspective on a classic.

I was hoping for a more ingenious ending to the production. I sat in my seat waiting and wondering if the ballet company was going to take the show a step further and give a jaw-dropping ending.  Something completely different then the way in which the actual play concludes. Wishful thinking on my part.

The ending could have been the main WOW factor of the show.   But, it wasn’t.  To me the amazement stemmed from the dancers ability to modernize an old play to the level that they did.  The ending didn’t matter to me. But, to each his own.

The show overwhelmed me with thoughts.  Dance has that effect on you because it brings everything to life.  Everyone who attends this performance will take away a different piece of it.  Some will love it, some will hate it, some will stick to original story itself while others will gravitate towards the new and improved Radio and Juliet. In the end, you will walk out of the theater having witnessed a beautiful, wild, creative, innovative, remake, sad, passionate, confusing, classic love story.