Short Introduction West Side Story

Choreographer Bryan Arias: „’West Side Story’ is one of the most famous musicals of all time inspired by William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ it is set in the backdrop of New York City in the 1950s two rival gangs fight for control over their neighborhood one the Jets American the others sharks Puerto Ricans. Two star-crossed lovers meet and set into motion the conflict between the two gangs: One is Tony from the Jets the other Maria from the Sharks. The core of the story is universal: Us against them, group formation, the search for belonging, hatred, exclusion, intolerance. And in the middle, the question of how understanding and love are possible in such a world. With dance, we can represent the conflict between the two groups. But movement also shows that the core of 'West Side Story' is not division; it is about universal experiences of love, loss, and the desire for connection. Our director Lotte de Beer says: Theater is an exercise in empathy. And we urgently need that in a world like ours: empathy. We are already looking forward to sharing our version of this great masterpiece with music by Leonard Bernstein with you. Hopefully, see you soon at the Volksoper!”