What's Romeo and Juliet's story like in the AI era?

Drawing inspiration from William Shakespeare's classics and blending philosophical reflections on love with avant-garde stage expression, the dance drama "Romeo AI Juliet," starring rising dancer Liu Jia, will meet Shanghai audiences on October 14.

Described by its creators as a "conceptual dance drama," the six-scene production weaves together love stories spanning three dimensions, where theater and dance seamlessly merge.

These scenes include a balcony in Verona, Italy, in 1458, an art gallery in 2030, and a power-driven parliament in 2099. Multimedia elements enable both performers and audiences to traverse multiple parallel timelines.

Liu takes on three roles, portraying Romeo in the past, present, and future – including an artificial intelligence (AI) Romeo in 2099, whose mechanical core conceals a struggle for awakening.

Throughout the performance, dance is often used to amplify and extend the characters' emotions. In the climactic dance segment, ten dancers embody the "manifestation of fate," engaging in a entanglement with the protagonists.

The dance premiered in Wuxi, neighboring Jiangsu Province, on September 3.

"This is more compelling than some of the previous works I've been involved in," said Wang Yabin, the choreography director. "Theater provides dance with a 'root,' as every movement is supported by a reason, allowing the audience to appreciate the beauty of the physical expression and feel the emotions behind at the same time."

Performance info

Date: October 14, 7:30pm

Tickets: 80-580 yuan

Venue: AIA Grand Theater 北外滩友邦大剧院

Address: 889 Dongdaming Road 东大名路889号