By Kristi Casey Sanders
Members of a ballet company often spend every waking moment together: in the studio, at rehearsals, during meals and at the theater. So, when two dancers marry, they are seldom apart. Husband and wife team John Welker and Christine Winkler, dancing the lead roles in the ballet based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet , are unfazed by the amount of time they are together. “That’s how we met. It’s all we’ve ever known,” Winkler explains.
How did you meet?
Christine Winkler: We were both dancing in a company in Salt Lake City, Utah, called Ballet West.
John Welker: We were both new to the company, kind of the new kids on the block, and it was our first time away from home, She’s from Sacramento, Calif., and I’m from Columbus, Ohio.
Christine Winkler: We waited a while before we started dating … (giggling) about a month. He was young! I waited until he turned 18. [Christine was 21 at the time. –Ed.]
John Welker: I asked her out for dinner. I like to cook. I cooked her a meal where I lived. It was steak and couscous and vegetables, wasn’t it?
Christine Winkler: Yes, and salad.
John Welker: And Christine will never forget that meal, because I made her chop the onions.
Christine Winkler: I asked if you needed help …
You were only with Ballet West for a season before you came to Atlanta Ballet. Did you come individually, or were you approached as a unit?
John: We were approached as a unit. I knew John McFall from when he was at BalletMet in Ohio, and he called me up at Ballet West and said they had just made him artistic director of the Atlanta Ballet, and would I care to come down and dance. And I said, “Yeah. But now, there’s someone else, too.”
Christine: He wanted to see me dance. So I sent a lot of videos, and I had to come down and take some classes before he would hire me.
What would you have done if the relationship didn’t work out?
Christine: I don’t know. I never thought about that.
John: At that time, we were so young … we were in what they call the butterfly stage of love. We had nothing to lose — we were just starting out in our careers. It never occurred to us to think it might not work out. I think that occurred to our parents when we told them we were moving out together. (laughs)
How does your real-life relationship inform how you dance the roles of Romeo and Juliet ?
Christine: The intimacy we have makes it easy to play star-crossed lovers.
John: It makes it very real, very personal for each of us. We go from the heights of love to committing suicide — to the depths of despair, really.
Christine: It’s emotionally draining. You go through so much in …
John: Two hours …
Christine: Two hours. You’re a 14-year-old girl who’s just blossoming and discovering love, and who matures in such a short amount of time [and then dies]. People come backstage to congratulate you, and pretty much all you want to do is go lay down.
John: But it’s satisfying.
Christine: It’s very satisfying.
What are your favorite parts of the show?
Christine: The balcony scene is always a favorite; the music is just incredible. And, I like a lot of the dramatic scenes.
John: There’s a great dramatic scene where Romeo ends up killing Mercutio …
Christine: Tybalt.
John: Tybalt, her brother …
Christine: Cousin.
John: Cousin. And the music builds so gradually, but then comes to this dramatic climax; it’s incredibly powerful. And, Lady Capulet comes in …
Christine: And Juliet comes in …
John: And sees Tybalt dead at the hands of Romeo …
Christine: And the curtain falls! It’s incredible.
Romeo & Juliet plays The Fabulous Fox Theatre Feb. 7-16.
