It’s been six days since the last show of Roméo et Juliette and I have slowly morphed from Juliette back into Noelani.  Since the beginning of PNB’s season I have been preparing for this ballet on many levels, so the idea of letting it go makes me sad.  It’s something I’ve dedicated a lot of time & energy into and to see it fade off into the past makes me feel as though I’m losing a part of myself.  

    In August of 2007, Bernice Coppieters & Gaby Baars came to PNB to set the roles of Roméo and Juliette on the dancers.  Other main characters like Lady Capulet, the Nurse, Tybalt, and some of the street scenes were also mapped out.  At the time, Lucien & I were gearing up to perform the balcony pas de deux for PNB’s opening gala, but I also learned the majority of the ballet in those 3 weeks.  I was of course awestruck by Bernice, Gaby, and this version of Roméo et Juliette.  I tried my best to file away all of the knowledge that they had handed to me (particularly this new idea of port de bras that Bernice coached me on).  I did a lot of thinking at the time, and quickly realized that if I was going to take this character of Juliette anywhere, I had to watch Bernice very closely (even in class), and really listen to everything she had to say.  I found that when I was getting a correction, I would try to apply it while listening, but this got in the way.  It’s a common thing that dancers do.  So, I found that if I really just stood and listened to what she was saying, I received more information and could digest it and apply it sooner.  I think listening is a skill that everyone in the world can work on.  The better you listen, the more knowledge you have.  “Knowledge is Power”.  So, I took listening to a new level for myself. 

     January came, and so did preparations for R&J.  I spent some time during our layoff in the studio with one of my Roméo’s, James Moore.  We spent a couple days going over what we knew, and I started to recount the information passed on to me by Bernice & Gaby.   The company then started back on January 8th, and we were lucky enough to meet and work with Giovanna Lorenzoni (ballet mistress & assistant to Jean-Christophe Maillot, Choreographer of R&J and Director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo).  She, like the others from Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, was luminescent.  Gaby followed a week later, and the coaching at the PNB studios flourished.  I remember ending everyday buzzing, and I’d wake the next morning that way.  I was addicted to the energy in the studio. 

    Before I knew it, it was the week of this PNB premiere & Jean-Christophe Maillot was at PNB.  I was nervous when he watched class so I went and introduced myself in order to be able to function normally.  I was struck because I don’t usually get nervous when people are watching.  That day, we ran the ballet for him so he could get an idea of what needed work.  I remember feeling physically ill during the rehearsal (stress).  By the end of the day though, I was calm and able to keep my thoughts collected.  Like with Bernice, I tried to listen to Jean-Christophe as though he were giving me top-secret information.  There were still so many details to apply to the choreography, and he opened my eyes to possibilities that I hadn’t yet seen.  During the course of this week I felt an overpowering magnetism between Jean-Christophe and the dancers.  I even felt myself wanting to stay and be a part of scenes that I wasn’t in.  I wanted to take in all that I could from watching him work.  His vision & direction were clear and intentioned, and it reverberated through the dancers and into the depths of the theater.  I know that I am not alone in saying that it was a truly magical event.    

     There are times when I feel I enjoy the rehearsal period more than the actual performances.  In this instance, I enjoyed both thoroughly.  One thing I loved so much about this process was that in the beginning, there was a clear objective to keep the steps from going stale.  It’s very easy as a dancer to become repetitive with choreography - there is a need to feel comfortable with the steps, and it’s what we’ve been trained to do since we were young.  So, to turn off this way of thinking is a stretch.  I remember Bernice saying that we shouldn’t ever let the steps or the acting become second nature.  Each action should create a real reaction.  When I started to think in this way, it was as though time slowed down.  I was able to connect intentions to steps (or steps to intentions).  This allowed me to never become complacent, and every rehearsal & performance felt different and exciting.  I hope to grasp this logic further & incorporate it into my dancing all the time.  I had the opportunity to dance with two Roméos - James Moore & Lucien Postlewaite.  Week one was with Lucien & week two with James.  Both Roméo’s were amazing & each had something different to offer.  Each had their own approach to Roméo and I loved this because it made my reactions to each of them different but still genuine.  As the shows progressed, the story felt more and more real, and it was hard to snap back into reality after each performance ended.  I could feel that my two Roméos were in the story as much as I was, and I’m so grateful for the amazing journey I went on with both of them.  

    The emotional state that this ballet put me in made my sleeping patterns take a back seat, and as you can imagine this started to take a toll on my body (especially my poor knees).  There were plenty of times when I doubted myself through the shows.  My friends, family, and colleagues were my supportive system through this, and I’m not so sure I would have been able to get through the run without them.  There was one instance where I was discussing my knee problems to a fellow dancer, and she simply said, “I’m not giving that any energy.”  Unbeknownst to her, it was the best advice I received through it all.  I then continued through the run erasing any bad thoughts and not giving “energy” to physical or emotional upsets that arose.

    There is so much more that I want to say about Roméo et Juliette, but for now I must let it go and move on to PNB’s next incredible rep program.  Thank you to those who have written in to me with their thoughts and comments.  Also, thanks also needs to be given to all who sent prayers and support my way.  It  really helped me through!!  Check back soon!  xo Noe