When Michael Pink took over the toe shoes of the Milwaukee Ballet in 2002, he brought forth a piece based on one of the most well-known works of William Shakespeare. "Romeo & Juliet," which opened the 33rd season, was the show that announced to Milwaukee the direction the Ballet would take in years to come.

Now at the end of the 36th season, Pink has brought back "Romeo & Juliet" to close an exciting season; one which also saw the revival of the Genesis International Ballet Competition.

"A lot of people have said 'please do it again, please do it again.' When a new artistic director is introduced, there's a lot of people who wait in the wings to see what will happen," Pink says. "There had to be quite a few people waiting to see how Michael Pink would work out. ('Romeo & Juliet') was a hugely popular production and it was time to bring it back."

He says that this time around, "Romeo & Juliet" is slicker and stronger than the first time. As a company, the Milwaukee Ballet has been able to fine tune the performance and make necessary changes.

This go-round, there will be two casts, switching up the roles of Romeo and Juliet. Guest artist -- and OMC blogger -- Julianne Kepley, currently dancing with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, will dance Juliet for two performances.

"Julianne was, for this production, the original Juliet in the Atlanta Ballet," Pink says. "We had become great friends and knowing she was in the Joffrey Ballet, I asked if she was willing to come and dance with us. I wanted her to partner with Douglas McCubbin as Romeo."

The performance schedule worked perfectly with Kepley's own schedule and she's glad to be able to take part.

"I love the role am having a wonderful time working with Michael Pink again and my Romeo, Douglas McCubbin," she says. "Milwaukee is a company about half the size of the Joffrey. It's more like the Atlanta Ballet where I danced for eight years. A smaller company just has a different feeling, a little more like a family. The smaller size changes the dynamics of everyone working in the organization."

Kepley and McCubbin will play Romeo and Juliet during Friday and Sunday, while leading artists Luz San Miguel and David Hovhannisyan dance the other two nights.

Pink says this ballet the one to see even if you aren't a ballet fan, because the music is just as wonderful as the dancing.

"Prokofiev's score was the first full-length ballet score all about the narrative, thematic material was developed. It was the first really thorough composed score," he says.

But what he says that in terms of the modern-day musical, this would be the one where every tune is a hit.

"The music is screaming out love, passion, hatred, conflict, everything you could imagine. The music sweeps you away and working with it in the studio is an utter pleasure," Pink says. "Working on a piece in the studio for five weeks, the music is repeated and repeated and it can irritate you somewhat not Prokofiev. Every second is sublime."

There are also realistic fight scenes choreographed by The Milwaukee Rep's Lee Ernst.

"I'm certainly not the trained fight director Lee is. A production of this scale is about team effort, bringing together a team," Pink says. "(Ernst is a) hugely creative as an actor, equally creative director. He moves incredibly well. I joke that as he wants to get out of the Rep there's a place for him at the Milwaukee Ballet. He really understands what we're trying to do."

Ernst did the original fight scenes for "Romeo & Juliet" in 2003. This new production gave him the chance to tighten up the original choreography and to come at it with a fresh eye, just like everyone else involved.

"In every respect, the audience who saw the (2003 production) will notice some significant changes," Pink says.

Kepley says that the reason why the story of "Romeo & Juliet" is so hugely popular is because people sympathize with it.

"I think audiences love it because nearly everyone remembers what it was like to fall in love for the first time," she says. "They remember the life and death sensation of every glance, of the first kiss. Also most people have read the play and are already familiar with the story."

Next season, Pink brings even more Shakespeare to the Ballet with "Hamlet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Plus there's the world premiere of second Genesis Winner Nelly Van Brommel's ballet and a yet-unknown ballet from Pink, who says he hasn't got the slightest idea what it will be.

"Suggestions will be taken on a postcard," he says jokingly.