Soloists and corps de ballet are all in top form in Colorado Ballet production
Open any dance encyclopedia or guide to ballet and the 19th century Coppélia takes up at least a page of description, sometimes more. Watch any ballet company – or at least those that perform classical ballets – and you will find Coppélia in the repertoire. And attend almost any performance of Coppélia almost anywhere and you will see a theater filled to near capacity, at least prior to the Covid pandemic.
In Colorado Ballet’s case Coppélia hasn’t been performed for 15 years, and this new production, with sets and costumes from American Ballet Theatre, lives up to the best that this classical work has to offer. The overall production values are stunning, the dancing from principals to the corps thrilling and the playing by the company’s orchestra perfectly in tune (pun intended) with Léo Delibes’ delightful score.
Created in 1870 by Arthur Saint-Léon in the last year of his life for The Théatre Imperial de l’Opéra in Paris, later the Paris Opéra, the ballet is loosely based on E.T.A Hoffman’s story Der Sandman. While another choreographer might have turned Hoffman’s original into a gloomy telling of the perils of infatuation, Saint-Léon made it a lighthearted comedy, which Colorado Ballet milks for every last bit of humor.
Coppélia is often considered the last of the great Romantic classical ballets and contained two major innovations which have been retained in the various versions that have followed. It was the first to have a doll come to life and to integrate czardas (a Hungarian folk dance) into classical ballet.
The Colorado Ballet program lists Saint-Léon as the choreographer with this staging by the company’s Gil Boggs, Sandra Brown, Lorita Travaglia and Maria Mosina. But it’s hard to know exactly what this means in terms of specific steps since obviously no one alive today saw the original. But ballet is an ever-evolving art form and the basic outlines of historical ballets typically remain, so it’s fair to say this production is true in spirit to what Saint-Leon intended.
Photo: Amanda Tipton Photography
A favorite ballet over the years
As testimony to Coppélia’s popularity there have been numerous other versions over the years, starting in London just four years after its premiere and followed by stagings for precursors of Britain’s Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Royal Danish Ballet and too many other companies to list. Many of the greatest ballerinas of their day have danced the lead role of Swanhilda — including Margot Fonteyn, Alexandra Danilova, Patricia McBride and Alicia Alonso.
This illustrious background reflects the fact that of all the great ballets Coppélia is such a favorite. Part of the appeal might lie in the fact that the story is uncomplicated and easy to follow. A boy – Franz – is in love with Swanhilda but also intrigued by Coppélia, whom he doesn’t realize is a doll as she sits motionless reading a book. Shenanigans follow in which Swanhilda sneaks into dollmaker Dr. Coppelius’ shop and pretends to be Coppélia come alive. Ultimately, however, the truth is revealed and Swanhilda and Franz reconcile and live happily ever after.
Over the years I have seen many Coppélias by different companies but this one is right at the top. It has a youthful energy that radiates joy from start to finish. On opening night all the performers looked like there was no place else they would rather be than on the Ellie Calkins stage, dancing their hearts out.
That exuberance extended not just to the dancers’ expansive physicality but to the acting that the ballet requires. Leah McFadden was a charming, sprightly Swanhilda and her acting was as dynamic and convincing as her flawless dancing. From the moment she first appeared, McFadden owned the stage and it was impossible to take your eyes from her even when she was part of the ensemble. McFadden has an innate comedic sense and was absolutely hilarious when, as the doll come to life, she batted her eyes at us to signal that we’re all in on the joke.
The corps de ballet has never looked better and more in sync and the various soloists were uniformly solid. Catherine McGregor and Bryce Lee, who led the czardas and mazurka folk dances, were commanding and the six dancers who danced doll roles — Sean Omandam, Kenny Allen, Alexander Holms, Poppy Martinez-Cox and Sarah Claire Martin — had their robotic movements down perfectly. Jessica Payne and Sarah Tryon provided lovely lyrical interludes in their respective variations.
In a cameo role as Dr. Coppelius, Artistic Director Gil Boggs did a spectacular turn, literally, alternately angry, befuddled and finally accepting that his beloved Coppélia was just one of his creations.
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