Prokofiev’s heart-wrenching score for “Romeo and Juliet”, with its deep musical symbolism and imminent emotion, is timeless, especially when paired with world class dancing. In the Mariinsky version with choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky, the libretto highlights the main parts of Shakespeare’s poetic tale with a rhythm of its own. On June 8th, two rising Mariinsky stars performed a double debut in the title roles, foreshadowing a strong future for Mariinsky ballet productions in terms of the quality and depth they offer in tried and true classics.
Maria Iliushkina, just a few years ago a rising soloist, is now proving herself a polished ballerina of significant standing. Her length, grace, and tender heartedness — all characteristics that come through when meeting her in person– easily projected into the far reaches of the audience in her Juliet. Her deep attachment to the nurse (Valeria Karpina) seemed a nurturing, close relationship compared to Lady Capulet (performed by Alexandra Iosifidi)’s cold dismissal of her daughter. 
And the moment that she sees Romeo for the first time, their eyes lock, and one sensed the karmic connection that had already formed.
Her Romeo, resident Frenchman Even Capitaine, came into his own with vivid emotion.His jetes became expressions of joy at newfound love, and his sharp gestures in the final moments of the death scene –ripping the cap off the bottle of poison with his teeth– seemed angst-driven.Capitaine is normally the polished prince, whether in “Swan Lake” or “Raymonda” but clearly he possesses much more in terms of artistry in these more dramatic roles. It was a pleasure watching this couple create the range of emotions from deep love to wrenching grief.
Alexei Kuzmin, the Tybalt you love to hate, practically spat venom in his deep-seated hatred for both Mercutio, reliably performed by a perky, lighthearted Yaroslav Baybordin and for Capitaine’s Romeo. Other key gestures held additional weight in Capitaine’s delivery. 
When following Mercutio’s dead body physically upstage, sword in hand, he suddenly turns and stops Tybalt, who is trailing him, with an outstretched arm as if to suggest the game stops here. Capitaine’s face at this point seethed with a mixture of revenge and grief. The swordfight that ensued appeared real enough that no one in the audience moved.
When following Mercutio’s dead body physically upstage, sword in hand, he suddenly turns and stops Tybalt, who is trailing him, with an outstretched arm as if to suggest the game stops here. Capitaine’s face at this point seethed with a mixture of revenge and grief. The swordfight that ensued appeared real enough that no one in the audience moved.
The supporting roles also drew interest. Juliet’s friend, danced by Daria Kulikova, offered clean arabesque lines and a glowing presence alongside her partner, Trubador Yaroslav Pushkov. The pair’s duet suggested promise for other classical roles. Nikolai Naumov performed a stern, controlling yet engaged Senor Capulet alongside Iosifidi’s cold-hearted Lady Capulet. Romeo’s father, Dmitry Sharapov, performed double duty as the priest Lorenzo and appeared visibly moved at the final fate of the two lovers — just like many in the audience. The gorgeous score was conducted by Andrey Ivanov.
Photos (c) Mikhail Vilchuk for the Mariinsky Theatre, 2025.