British choreographer Matthew Byrne's ballet "Romeo and Juliet" premieres in China

On the evening of June 12, the latest dance drama "Romeo and Juliet" by British ghost choreographer Matthew Byrne premiered in China at Shanghai Cultural Square. The play pioneered the story of the near-future "Verona Correctional Institution" and created a very contemporary young love model. The stage aesthetic of fashion pioneer is refreshing, and the novel and vivid dance interpretation is moving.

Matthew Byrne is familiar to Chinese audiences with works such as "Male Swan Lake", "Gothic Sleeping Beauty" and "World War II Cinderella". This version of "Romeo and Juliet" has created a plot structure that is completely different from traditional storytelling. "I have returned to Shanghai many times with my work, and I have the most lovely audience here. The Shanghai audience is very interested and enthusiastic about this work, which is a true compliment to the creator. It is this curiosity that perpetuates this fate and makes all encounters possible," Matthew Byrne said.

As the only artist in the world to hold both the Tony Award for "Best Choreography" and the "Best Director Award", Matthew Byrne and his team's creation, adaptation and subversion provide audiences with more possibilities to interpret classics, and also give ballet art a new vitality. Matthew Byrne is known as the first man of modern dance and has won awards such as the OBE, the Shakespeare Prize for the Arts in Hamburg, and the British Inspiration Award.

After its UK debut in 2019, "Romeo and Juliet" was widely praised, and the New Adventure Dance Company has won several important awards: Laurence Olivier Awards, Tony Award and National Dance Awards. After five years, "Romeo and Juliet" kicked off an international tour in April this year. After performances in Japan and South Korea, it will go to Beijing and Guangzhou to meet local audiences.

"There are so many'Romeo and Juliet 'in the world, this is probably the one that the audience can't imagine," Paris Fitzpatrick, one of the "Romeo" actors, told reporters. "Although the setting of the story has changed, the time, the place, the relationship between the characters has changed, but Matthew is true to the essence of the story. This is a story of young love and tragedy that will hold you firmly and touch you."

Matthew Byrne also said that this is the most suitable "Romeo and Juliet" for today's young people: "Unlike previous works, 'Romeo and Juliet' is full of passion, it tells the story of today's young people, and I am very proud to be able to empathize with young people."