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Dance History

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In the article “Star-Crossed Lovers Saved”, the author Deborah Jowitt comments on Mark Morris’s “Romeo & Juliet”. Most of her comments are positive and she is writing about some details of Morris’s “Romeo & Juliet” and the background information when Morris casted his performers. She talks about the music, costumes, performance of the dancers. I think her comments are interesting, and it is quite persuasive because she is an expert on these criteria.

In the beginning, Jowitt describes briefly about the plot of “Romeo & Juliet”. Fate is a very important theme in “Romeo & Juliet”, as it is the predetermined events, which lead to the eventual deaths of Romeo and Juliet. It is believed that fate is the main controlling force in life. I believe that fate cannot be changed or altered, as it is your destiny. Fate is a person destiny and future and our lives are dominated by fate or by personal choice. Shakespeare brings this question to surface, and leaves it fairly to judge and make own conclusions about whether Romeo and Juliet died because of fate or because of their personal choices. I think what Jowitt focuses mainly is on the skills and gestures, but not on the point whether the ballet can bring out this theme successfully. I think it is a quite important factor to determine whether it is a good ballet because it is based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” and the theme should be kept. I believe Morris did show this in the ballet.

In the article, there are several things that the author uses to support her idea. Jowitt tells about Mark Morris. He had not made a ballet and was a modern-dance choreographer. He casts his dancers interestingly, and they respond with gusto. Jowitt also comments about the performance of the dancers. Two pairs of dancers alternate as the lovers. Maile Okamura, looks like a lovely changeling in this coarse society.

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