Romeo & Juliet – Courtesy of Andrea Renzulli. Used with permission.
In its first full-length staging of the ballet Romeo & Juliet, set to Sergei Prokofiev’s score and based on William Shakespeare’s play about two young lovers from feuding families whose secret love leads to tragedy, Indiana Ballet Conservatory took on an ambitious work and delivered it with notable polish and assurance. Presented Friday at the Tarkington Theater as part of the school’s 15th anniversary season.
Romeo & Juliet – Courtesy of Andrea Renzulli. Used with permission.
The production registered as more than a student showcase, carrying the discipline and composure of a professionally guided performance and reflecting the work of IBC’s gifted faculty, whose training was evident in the student dancers’ strength, clarity, and stage presence. It also felt like the fulfillment of artistic director and founder Alyona Yakovleva’s vision, realized in a production of clarity, ambition, and impressive theatrical finish. From the outset, the staging, atmosphere, and overall presentation reflected careful preparation and clear artistic purpose.
The dancing was technically strong, but just as importantly, the performance maintained a clear sense of discipline and purpose. Even when youthful sincerity came through, the result remained focused, well-rehearsed, and artistically engaged.
Alyona Yakovleva’s choreography supported that high level of quality by giving the dancers plenty of room to show both technical command and emotional range. The movement language appeared to blend classical ballet vocabulary with character work and contemporary touches, which kept the production feeling dynamic and thoughtfully shaped.
Romeo & Juliet – Courtesy of Andrea Renzulli. Used with permission.
In the large ensemble scenes, everything read as expansive and well-organized, while the quieter passages relied on strong lines, controlled momentum, and confident partnering. That balance between structure and feeling was what gave the performance its professional finish. At its best, the ballet didn’t just aim high—it looked fully rehearsed, carefully directed, and genuinely stage-ready.
Especially striking were Emily Goen as Juliet and James August “Gus” Leinhauer as Romeo, both of whom brought conviction and presence to their roles. Their chemistry was persuasive, and they came across as more than dancers executing difficult lifts; they sustained a believable emotional connection. Their pas de deux was among the production’s most affecting passages, marked by sensitivity, control, and trust.
The supporting characters also contributed first-rate performances, helping to give the ballet dramatic texture and theatrical depth. Rather than functioning as background figures, they were fully integrated into the emotional and narrative life of the production, and their strong characterizations added weight, contrast, and momentum to the unfolding drama.
Taken as a whole, Indiana Ballet Conservatory’s Romeo & Juliet united technical excellence, expressive artistry, and emotional conviction in a transcendant performance of genuine professional quality. Just as importantly, the audience remained thoroughly engaged and emotionally invested throughout, a response that spoke to the production’s dramatic power as well as its technical accomplishment
Additional performances of Romeo & Juliet will be presented on Saturday, May 23, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Tarkington Theater in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Another performance is scheduled for May 30 at Eagles Theatre at the Honeywell Center in Wabash. Tickets are available at thecenterpresents.org.
