#TBT: Alessandra Ferri and Wayne Eagling as Romeo and Juliet (1984)

November 28, 2001

It takes the work of a ballet dancer to embody the words of Shakespeare. With the help of Sergei Prokofiev’s masterful score, the Royal Ballet’s Alessandra Ferri and Wayne Eagling approach this task with heartbreaking beauty.  They perform the iconic balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet in this recording of the company’s 1984 production—and their movement speaks. 

 

Watch how the musical verse of Shakespeare’s words comes to life through Ferri and Eagling’s bodies. The stage seems to float beneath their movements. They constantly rush from stage left to stage right, settling for only a moment in picturesque beauty. As they proceed from shy tenderness to overflowing passion, Ferri and Eagling transform into Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, making the audience’s heart sting with the knowledge of their fate. Happy #ThrowbackThursday!