Ballet du
Grand Théâtre de Genève's version of Coppélia
is a rollicking, witty and surreal interpretation of the original 1870
ballet. Full of imagination and fun, it walks a fine line between sheer
comic fantasy and a step into the psychotic dark side of desire and
obsession. Integrating fabulous design, video and text, Cisno Aznar's
characters emerge from the original ballet that tells the tale of the
eccentric Dr Coppelius and his Frankensteinish puppet doll creation,
Coppélia.
In fact, he delves so deeply into the literal essence of the narrative
that at times the ballet gets bogged down with complex symbolism and
iconography. It thus took a while to wade through this before arriving
at some dance, set to a score that incorporated the ballet's original
music by Delibes. Some sections were rap-style; others used jive movements
from the 1950s, while familiar ballet steps could be seen in other parts.
The opening game-show dance competition set the tone for an entertaining,
contemporary take on the old story. The first prize, won by Franz and
his lover Swanhilda, was a house full of items that they could have
only when they named their wedding day. Enter an overbearing mother/mother-in-law,
groups of cleaners, a crow shooter (I am not sure if this was added
for the Singapore performances but it certainly drew some laughs) and
some lustful young men.
The black-and-white costumes by Luis Lara were brilliant and set the
minimalist palette for the first half of the show, including black-and-white
projections and animation that occurred on screens behind and, at times,
in front of the dancers. There was lots of slapstick and bitter sweet
humour as Franz falls deeply in love with Coppélia. Suspended
above the stage in a gilded cage, she was the only spot of colour on
stage with her flaming red hair and dress. Providing more contrast in
colour was a very funny projection of a rickshaw chase, featuring a
smiling geisha playing a barrel organ.
Act two exploded onto the stage with red velvet curtains, a pink wedding
cake and a poignant film to relate the childhood of the mad scientist.
This short video projection could have found a place in an art-house
film festival and it explored the soul of the young inventor and his
obsession with his dolls. On stage, the plot thickened as Franz entered
Dr Coppélius's house and found himself among the puppets - dancing
eyeballs and yapping dogs. It was an opportunity for the traditional
dance of the dolls from the original ballet, which featured robotic
movements, to be performed.
The final scenes show Coppélia released from enslavement to
Dr Coppélius and transformed into the woman of Franz's
dreams - they marry and claim the dance competition prize. Grant
Aris was outstanding as Dr Coppélius. His long-limbed physique
embodied the character, and his interpretation of the role was so intense
that even during the curtain call, he seemed unable to free himself
from the character.
Although I am still pondering if the first half, which felt too long
and over-literal, was even necessary, I left the theatre elated by such
an entertaining dance performance. Singapore does not get to see enough
dance theatre that has complex imagery and a cohesive melding of dance,
performance, design and entertainment. It was a great night out at the
theatre.
First Impression
Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève's version
of Coppélia is a rollicking, witty and surreal interpretation
of the original 1870 ballet. Full of imagination and fun, it walks a
fine line between sheer comic fantasy and a psychotic dark side of desire
and obsession. Integrating fabulous design, video and text, the ballet
tells the tale of the eccentric Doctor Coppelius and his Frankensteinish
puppet doll creation, Coppélia. However, choreographer Cisco
Aznar delves so deeply into the literal essence of the narrative that
at times the ballet becomes bogged down in its symbolism and iconography
- and it takes a while to wade through this to arrive at some dance.
When the dance arrives, it is varied and interesting, with the ballet's
original music by Delibes being interpreted in diverse ways -
some sections are hip hop style and others use 50's jive movements,
while some phrases incorporate the familiar vocabulary of the ballet:
grande jetés and pirouettes.
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"Coppélia walks a fine line between sheer comic fantasy
and a step into the psychotic dark side of desire and obsession"
Credits
Artistic Director: Philippe Cohen
Choreography and Sound Creation: Cisco Aznar
Sets and Costumes: Luis Lara
Principal Dancer: Grant Aris (Dr Coppélius)
Music: Léo Delibes
Lighting Designer: Samuel Marchina
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