2026 marks the 20th anniversary of Breakdancing Shakespeare. This inspired experiment has been bringing together talented young artists from diverse backgrounds to create contemporary retellings of Shakespeare’s plays with original hip hop and break dance choreography for two glorious decades! In 2006, the program began with a production of Romeo & Juliet that aimed to replace the violence in the story with dance. From there, the program has grown and changed, but the core tenet has remained the same: to trust the special and specific skills of the artists and collaborators involved.

Romeo & Juliet is on one level a love story—perhaps the most famous ever told—but it is also very much the story of a fractured community where individuals have stopped seeing the humanity of those on opposing sides. This makes it feel an incredibly timely piece for our contemporary American experience now, despite returning to it 20 years, or even 400 years, later.

Many thanks to this incredible team: Brandon Couloute, our incomparable choreographer; Kevin Scott, our brilliant composer; Alyssa Edwards, our extraordinary stage manager; and this exhilarating/kind/tireless cast. To paraphrase Shakespeare himself, “O, they do teach the torches to burn bright!” and I feel so grateful to work by their sides. Enjoy the show and we hope you keep coming back for many years to come.

Nina Pinchin
Director

Adapted & Directed By
Nina Pinchin

Choreographed By
Brandon Couloute

Music By
Kevin Scott

Artistic Director
Melia Bensussen

Managing Director
Cynthia Rider

Scenic Design
Zachary Farmer

Lighting Design
Jackie Costabile

Sound Design
Kevin Scott

Costume Design
Nina Pinchin

Props
Joe Dotts

Stage Manager
Alyssa Edwards

Fight Direction
David McCamish

Vocal Consultant
Julie Foh

Production Management
Wesley McCabe-Schroeder

Support for Breakdancing Shakespeare is provided by

The BFA Fund at the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation

The George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation

Photos by Lucas Clopton