`Coppelia' enchants with dance
Coppelia is Houston Ballet's second program of the season, opening last Thursday with Anderson starring as the main character, Swanilda, and Carlos Acosta as her fiancé, Franz. Dorio Perez, celebrating his 20th season with the company, portrays Dr. Coppelius, an intricate character whose life-size doll Coppelia enchants his fellow villagers, especially Franz.
The comic ballet involves a lot of ensemble dancing and features Anderson more than any other dancer. Although she dances superbly, the audience misses the male dancers, and Acosta's awesome skills are only briefly shown in a small solo near the end.
Perez, however, shows off what he does best -- character roles. Dr. Coppelius presents a challenge for any mime actor, for he has a multi-faceted personality -- he appears eccentric and standoffish, but he suffers from a lack of love and will go to extremes, including stealing Franz's life-force, to get what he wants.
The ballet itself starts out in a village in Germany, and though it starts slowly, the action evolves more and more as the first act closes. Swanilda and her friends sneak into Dr. Coppelius' strange home, and by the end of Act I, you're left wondering what's inside.
What is inside is a fabulous toy workshop filled with marvelous toys, such as a wizard with a telescope and a barbell man. Many of the life-size toys move, and you wonder if they're actually toys or people in costumes. This set was by far the most fantastic, and as the curtain lifted, I could actually hear people gasping "ahhh."
Swanilda and her friend enter with fear and the scene makes you laugh at their quivering knees and childlike actions as they curiously look and touch. Upon finding Coppelia, they finally realize that she really is only a doll, and soon after their discovery, they get caught.
Much of the action here is acting more than dancing, and it gives the audience a break from the dance-intensive beginning. Anderson portrays Coppelia wonderfully, complete with the doll-like stiff arms and bright-eyed frozen face. When she pretends to come to life, she wreaks havoc for the doctor, and during this sequence of events, we see that Anderson's skills are not limited to just beautiful turns and extensions, but also include completing some very intricate footwork.
Soon, Swanilda escapes Dr. Coppelius' workshop with Franz, who had sneaked in to profess his love for Coppelia, and the two once again realize their love and head for the chapel. The last act tends to shift away from the storyline, mainly because of the nonstop dancing. The action involves only dance -- we first see a betrothal dance between couples, and then a "Dance of the Hours," which features the company's women.
Two ballerinas, Tiekka Schofield as Dawn and Barbara Bears as Prayer, are intertwined in the dancing. Both solos add to the beauty of the whole scene, and Bears especially impresses audiences. Her lines are smooth and long, and her movements thoroughly embody classical ballet.
If Act II is memorable for its fantastic set, Act III is impressive for the gorgeous costumes. The dresses sparkle and move well with the dancers. The subtle lighting makes them appear even more beautiful.
After the various dances end, the story resumes once more with the resolution, and of course, there is a simple and happy ending, complete with falling flower petals to celebrate Swanilda and Franz's marriage.
If you want to see a lot of classical dance, this ballet is perfect. But don't let all the classicism intimidate you. Though Coppelia is a classical ballet production, it is also a comedy, and the dancers can be beautiful and funny at the same time.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the September 29, 1995 issue.
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