For their next program in their Dance Happens Everywhere Digital Season, Pacific Northwest Ballet streams Coppélia, a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova based on the book by Charles Nuitter, after E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann and versions of the ballet that had previously been created.
Coppélia is the iconic comedy in the classical ballet canon originally choreographed by Arthur St. Léon in Paris in 1870, restaged by Marius Petipa in St. Petersburg in 1884, and revised by Enrico Cecchetti in 1894. Little, if any, of St. Léon’s choreography remains in today’s production, although Acts I and II retain his ideas and the story of mischievous young lovers. Balanchine provided entirely new choreography for Act III.
Program notes by Doug Fullington quote Balanchine as saying:
“In 1974, I decided we should stage Coppélia at the New York City Ballet and asked the ballerina and teacher Alexandra Danilova, celebrated for many years for her Swanilda, to collaborate with me on the choreography. I remember very well performances by the Russian Imperial Ballet of Coppélia and as a member of the company danced in the mazurka.
I have often said that Delibes is one of my favorite composers for dance. In our new Coppélia, we used the entire score of the three-act version. The first dance drama of really uniform excellence deserves no less! No part of the ballet is subordinate to any other; most important of all, ballet music in Coppélia participates in the dance drama as never before, Delibes’ charming, melodic music assisting the plot and unifying the music and dance. Tchaikovsky was directly inspired by Delibes’ score to write his own ballet music. Delibes is the first great ballet composer; Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are his successors.”
Pacific Northwest Ballet Streams Coppélia
Pacific Northwest Ballet Coppélia Principal Casting
Swanilda: Leta Biasucci
Franz: Benjamin Griffiths
Dr. Coppelius: Ryan Cardea
Set to Léo Delibes’ superbly melodic score, Balanchine’s ballet tells the story of a vivacious young Swanilda, her impetuous suitor Franz, and the eccentric toymaker Dr. Coppelius.
Though Franz loves Swanilda, he is swept away by Coppélia, a life-sized doll whom he believes is real. When Swanilda steals into Dr. Coppelius’ workshop and discovers the truth about Coppélia, she dresses up as her rival and amuses herself by tricking both toymaker and her lover.
All ends well in the final act’s splendid wedding festivities, enhanced by the addition of 24 “baby” ballerinas who frame ensemble and solo variations.
Pacific Northwest Ballet streams Coppélia from May 6 – 10, 2021 featuring archival footage captured in 2016.
Featured Photo for Pacific Northwest Ballet Streams Coppélia of Leta Biasucci as Swanhilda © Pacific Northwest Ballet