Columbia Classical Ballet

This company is chock full of talent from around the world and is an amazing treasure in a town the size of Columbia. Their technical skills are at the highest levels and the creative direction by Radenko Pavlovich is always excellent. The costumes are extraordinary. If you have a chance to go to see the Columbia Classical Ballet… do not hesitate!

Romeo and Juliet — Oct. 17, 2014
Columbia Classical Ballet’s performance of Romeo and Juliet was a pleasant surprise. In fact, my only criticism concerns the curtain call, but more on that later. I must confess to being no arts aficionado. However I have been to many theater performances, and attended a few ballets in my day. I stopped going to the Boston Ballet years ago after seeing a performance where the dancers were out of synch. Other factors such as set and sound must contribute to the illusion; Columbia scored well on the first measure but they could have dropped the sound levels a few decibels. And maybe I’ve mellowed with age, or maybe my seats were too close to the stage to take in its totality, but the dancing in CCB’s Romeo and Juliet was better than passable. To hold a pose, then pirouette and leap around the stage, ballet dancers must be well trained athletes, and CCB’s are no exception. Technical execution of all the dancers seemed quite good, and by some, excellent. Several dancers matched that key ingredient with superbly subtle acting. The latter includes Alena Loboda’s dutiful and stern Lady Capulet, and Sakura Oka’s tenderly expressive Juliet; but in the entire cast of nearly 30 none detracted – which I consider a major achievement for any ballet. With the well-​executed performance, it was easy to be saddened by the story and stunned by its tragic conclusion. At the end of the scene, the lights were cut and the curtain dropped, and the somber audience politely applauded – having just witnessed a murder (of Paris by Romeo) and the infamous double suicide. It was then that CCB had the opportunity to whip the audience into appreciative fervor, paying tribute to the cast in smaller groups from lesser dancers and parts to most. But, after several seconds, only the two main characters emerged through the closed curtain into the spotlight. The confused audience increased the intensity of its applause, but we desperately wanted to celebrate all the dancers and their exquisite performance. Finally, the curtain was raised, revealing the lined-​up cast to which our heroes returned. Only then did they and the others receive the standing ovation they all deserved.