romeo and juliet 1.1

In »romeo and juliet 1.1 – the blur of the bodies«, choreographer Roberto Zappalà explores what it means to feel »blurry«. Technically, blur is a matter of distance — too near or too far from the focal point. Transferring this to the lovers of Verona, we feel blurry when the distance between ourselves and the world, or the one we love, isn’t quite right, when that space is shaped by our way of being.


Zappalà shifts focus to the individuality of the lovers, each facing a personal, socially rooted discomfort. While in Shakespeare love is sublimated by death, version 1.1 reflects on — and rebels against — a present where the death drive sublimates only itself. In response, it proposes passion and a reverence for life. A reimagining that doesn’t aim to speak about love, but to be an act of love — toward life itself.