Sparks will fly; love and tragedy will collide at the Hult Center this weekend. Sword fighting, masquerades and world-class dancing will kick off Eugene Ballet Company’s 2002-03 season when the company presents “Romeo and Juliet” Saturday and Sunday.
The ballet company’s managing director Riley Gannan said the universal theme of “Romeo and Juliet” will appeal to a wider audience than most ballets.
“In a way, it’s a classic of its era — the pinnacle of narrative ballet,” he said, “and the story is such a knockout.”

Gannan said even those who are not ballet fans will enjoy the production, especially its edgier aspects — rivalry and combat. “It’s something that people can relate to — even bad-ass boys,” he said. “This is something a bad-ass boyfriend can do for his girlfriend, and he might even like it.”
The ballet boasts riveting sword fighting, which the dancers learned from fight director Christopher Villa. Villa has lent his expertise to more than 300 productions, including the Oregon and Utah Shakespeare Festivals. He also teaches sword fighting as a guest artist at colleges and universities across the country.
Gannan said the addition of sword fighting transforms the ballet into much more than just dance. He pointed to the tale’s many layers — a love story wrapped in violence.
“It makes it a seamless narrative,” he said.
Eugene Ballet Company spokeswoman Kelcey Boyce said the dancers themselves make the ballet noteworthy.
“We have a really exciting guest artist,” she said, adding that David Makhateli is “one of the world’s best male dancers.”
Makhateli, who will perform the role of Romeo on Saturday, is a principal dancer with the Houston Ballet. He performed with the Eugene Ballet last season in “Don Quixote,” and he will make a guest appearance with the Bolshoi Ballet after his “Romeo and Juliet” performance.

The Eugene Ballet’s own Hyoung Il Joung will dance as Romeo for Sunday’s performance, and company principals Jennifer Martin and Brett Mills will play the role of Juliet for one night each.
Beyond visual aspects, Gannan said the music — Serge Prokofiev’s score — is intense on many levels. “It will tear your heart out,” he said.
According to Boyce, the Eugene Ballet has performed the ballet three times in the past, the last time in 1997. However, Boyce said fans keep coming back.
“It’s something that’s been an audience favorite over the years,” she said. “People really want to see it.”
Gannan agrees. “It transcends time,” he said.
Performances take place at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available through the Hult Center’s ticket office for $18 to $55.