BWW Reviews: Misty Copeland is American Ballet Theatre's Newest Juliet

On June 16, 2015, I was privileged to be in attendance at the Metropolitan Opera House for Misty Copeland's debut performance of Juliet in Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, set to Sergei Prokofiev's exciting score. This ballet has been in ABT's repertory since 1985, with scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas Skelton. It was first performed by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House in London in 1965.

Copeland, whose rise within the company has been climbing steadily since her return to ABT after a serious injury about two years ago, was given a second performance of Juliet this Met season, although originally scheduled for only one performance on June 20th for the matinee audience. Her debut performance was both on the mark and entirely original in her depiction of this well known Shakespearean character. She was the strongest, most energetic Juliet I have seen; and I have seen countless performances of this ABT version, as well as versions by other choreographers and ballet companies.

Her Juliet was sweet, joyful, passionate, musical, and absolutely authentic. Copeland put her own stamp on this iconic role. She is a first rate actress (which contributes to a dancer's impact) with musicality and a dynamic technique . It takes both of these traits to convey this role of a young girl just blossoming into a woman, secretly marrying her soul-mate of a rival family in Verona, Italy, and choosing deception, rather than accepting the arranged marriage her parents push in her direction.

When we first meet her in scene two, Juliet is playing with her nurse. Copeland appears child-like and completely astonished, amusing the audience when her nurse shows her the proof that she has become a young woman. From her first gaze into Romeo's eyes at the ball it was palpable that love at first sight does exist. In other words, her entire being, including her eyes (or led by them), showed her commitment to this character. Whether dancing or dashing across the stage or down the stairs in the balcony scene, or around the family crypt, awakening from her deceptive death to find Paris, then Romeo dead, her every step was energetic, even when filled with anguish and desperation. Her ardor for her Romeo was enormous, much more self-assured than other Juliets I have seen. The way she embraced him before he left her bedroom the morning after their secret marriage was full of passion. It is exhilarating to see a familiar ballet being reinvented by a gifted artist.

If anyone in the audience was put off by this new interpretation, he was alone and drowned out by the eruption of whoops, bravas, and applause that would not stop. It was thrilling--that is to say that she was brilliant. The constant yells and whoops did seem to be foreign to a great opera house, but there is an audience new to the ballet, coming to witness this ballerina emerging from the ranks.

Copeland's success is well deserved. I look forward to her "Swan Lake" on the scheduled matinee on June 24th, and to everything else she dances during her certainly stellar career, which lies ahead.

Photo credit: Rosalie O'Connor

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