What: The Seagull

Who: National Ballet of Canada

When: Nov. 14 through 23

Where: Four Seasons Centre, 145 Queen St. W., Toronto

Tickets: 1-866-345-9595

When it comes to ballet with an edge, you can't beat John Neumeier.

The artistic director of Hamburg Ballet can make a story sizzle.

And the sizzle factor is exactly what drives The Seagull, Neumeier's sex-charged re-working of Anton Chekhov's corrosive play. Just ask National Ballet stars Zdenek Konvalina and Sonia Rodriguez. You'll get all the racy details.

"Neumeier's work is very avant garde," Konvalina says. "Today, people think it's modern, even minimalist. The thing is there's much more than the steps. So much is going on in this elegant story of conflicted emotions and hard truths."

"And it's very subtle," Konvalina continues. "That's the beauty of this ballet. It's also what makes it difficult to perform."

Rodriguez, Nina in the ballet, agrees.

"The process was so challenging. The way Neumeier explores dance pushes you to the limit. He's so passionate. He forces you to move away from your comfort zone."

Both Rodriguez and Konvalina find the ballet narrative-based, but character driven. They like the way Chekhov's story has been translated into dance.

"Neumeier is so observant of people," Rodriguez says. "He understands human nature. In a way he's a real chameleon. He's able to burrow deep inside each character's skin."

"He understands conflict," Konvalina adds. "Kostya, the character I play, is a would-be choreographer. He's trying to move away from traditional forms of dance. He's a little naive, though. And he's hungry for his mother's approval. In some ways he thinks her old-fashioned. As a ballerina she represents an art form that he no longer respects or worships."

Playing Kostya's young love, Rodriguez finds she identifies with the character in a personal way.

"The story is really about the artist's struggle. As a dancer I must struggle to believe in myself, to know who I am. Life is full of yearning, longing and I identify with the way The Seagull expresses those urgent desires."

In a world where change is constant, the need to hang on to something real is paramount.

"I love the way Neumeier allows you to find your own freedom. That's what The Seagull is all about. Nina is trying so hard to be what everyone wants her to be, she can't quite discover who she is."

Neumeier is recognized as a genius by European audiences who worship his dramatic movement.

In North America his ballets have met some resistance from audiences who like things more spelled out.

"With Neumeier you have to dig a bit," Konvalina says. "It's worth the effort."

Trained in Czechoslovakia, Konvalina loves the freedom of dance here in North America.

"I feel great passion for what I do," he says. "That passion is channelled through a work like The Seagull."

Rodriguez did her dance training in Toronto, Madrid and Monte Carlo. Like Konvalina, she has a very European outlook toward her work.

"For me it's important to get inside the skin of the character I dance. This ballet begins with youth and moves toward the longing of the future. It's all about taking a journey. Hopefully the audience will make the trip with us and discover something about themselves as well as the characters we play."

Gary Smith has written on theatre and dance for The Hamilton Spectator for more than 25 years.