"Radio and Juliet" choreographed by Edward Clug. Photo Credit: Ballet Maribor.

Huge stage.  The lights turn off, and a huge screen transforms the stage. Video, that’s what the show begins with. Juliet is lying on a bed in an all white room as she opens her eyes. She walks to another room to sit and peer at raindrops as they slump against the windowpane. A mountain of thought appears to confound her.

As the video comes closer to an end, miniature figures, the dancers of Ballet Maribor, begin to walk out on the stage at the Skirball Center. They travel through a stripe of bright light then immediately vanish into darkness. The beating sound of the rock band Radiohead breaks out from the speakers and suddenly we notice six figures standing ready to dance. They begin rapidly, throwing their limbs around wildly to the techno sound while their bodies remain in complete control. It looks like classical ballet with hip-hop. The music of Radiohead stands out: it is unusual and juicy.

Edward Clug, the choreographer of this ballet, has the male dancers break into groups and pass movement from one group to another. It is interesting to see how each person expresses their own attitude through movement. Usually in ballet, performers travel across the stage with their dance moves, here they dance and then walk from one place on stage to another. Another interesting detail is that there is only one woman in this story, Tijuana Krizman, Juliet. The rest of the cast are men who all look alike.