SHORT TAKES : China, U.S. Join for New ‘Romeo’

China’s national ballet, in one of the few cooperative U.S.-Chinese cultural endeavors this year, is preparing to stage an original production of “Romeo and Juliet” with Americans as choreographer and musical adviser.

The ballet’s opening Sept. 2 will mark the second time this year that Norman Walker, a professor of dance at Adelphi University on Long Island, N.Y., will work with the Central Ballet of China as choreographer.

Walker, who has been in Beijing for several weeks, has designed a new version of Prokofiev’s ballet based on the Shakespearean tragedy and said he has tailored it to the talents of the Chinese dancers.

“I use the classical vocabulary (of dance)--which they know very well--in a totally new way,” Walker said at the national ballet troupe’s headquarters. “I tried to expand the wonderful talent that is already there.”

Michael Feldman, artistic director for the St. Luke’s Chamber Orchestra, is serving as musical adviser for the production. He has also been a guest conductor for the Chinese company’s orchestra.