After changes of cast, threatened strikes, exorbitant economic demands from chorus and dancers, and a cancelled first night, Sasha Waltz’s ballet Roméo et Juliette finally opened yesterday in Milan.
Let’s start at the beginning. A couple of months ago the Teatro alla Scala website announced:
Roberto Bolle decided that the rehearsal periods foreseen would not have been sufficient to allow him to immerse himself totally in a new style.
So Aurélie Dupont found that she had her familiar partner back as Hervé Moreau was signed up. The couple first danced the work, created on them for the Paris Opera Ballet, back in 2007. Bolle’s fans (i Bollerini) were reportedly trying to offload their tickets online immediately.
Then the chorus asked for a little extra in their wage packet as they were expected to wear a costume and memorize parts of the music, a bonus that would have cost the theatre 350,000 euros. La Scala’s management agreed to give a little extra to the sixteen chorus members who were required to do a few (hardly noticeable) movements, but this wasn’t enough. As the dancers also jumped on the bandwagon thinking that maybe they ought to have a little more cash for dancing on a platform with a steep rake, the theatre decided to cancel the opening on December 19 (which was, bizarrely, nine days before the scheduled second performance).… [continue reading]
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