The trouble for these characters begins when Othello chooses Cassio, played by the charming and formidable Jake Roxander, for a promotion over Iago. And Roxander is ever the perfect part to play a young, up-and-coming threat. Lubovitch’s choreography gives him the opportunity to do what he does best: stun with showy, technically pristine pirouettes and jumps, which he finishes every so often with a cheeky, if not smug, wobble of his head. When Cassio dances with Desdemona—with Othello’s blessing—Li and Roxander move together so naturally it’s even easier to understand how her husband could come to such a false and deadly conclusion. 

This cast, as a whole, prove naturally inclined to their roles. Soloist Breanne Granlund is exciting and energetic as Bianca, a woman of Cyprus who, in the second act, leads the corps in a rowdy tarantella. It takes a lot of control to throw your leg in attitude with such gusto and plenty of showmanship to stand out amid a sea of dancers moving their bodies in one mad mass. 

Madison Brown—a corps de ballet member who joined the company in 2024—proves her mettle in a soloist role as Emilia, Iago’s wife. Originally assigned to principal Isabella Boylston (who recently announced her pregnancy, Emilia is a challenging role, requiring both deft acting skills and clean, precise technique: the ability to hold one’s own against a longtime principal like Whiteside and a rising soloist like Li. Brown is an emotive dancer with sharp, striking technique and long lines, and a level of visible comfort that allows her to fully embody a role. Her Emilia is heartbreaking in her powerlessness, but powerful in her performance. Brown, it’s clear, has a very bright future ahead. 

Even in his role as a principal, Royal, too, shows his development as an artist. It helps to have Whiteside—leaning into his character acting with static, intense jolts of movement—as a foil to Royal’s more lyrical qualities. But Royal’s strongest moment in the ballet is when he’s on his own, dancing a solo that leads him to trade his smoothness for jerking, staccato accents. His Othello is more anguished than angry, and this differentiation is equally attributable to Royal’s artistic breadth and Lubovitch’s dynamic choreography.