A vibrant, charming and humourous classical ballet
By Foo Rong En and Valerie Lua, Photos by Singapore Dance Theatre
With such a gorgeous setting of a rustic village, complete with rolling hills, luscious greenery and a majestic fountain as the centerpiece, this tale seems inevitably headed for a fairytale ending.
In this story, Coppelia is actually the name of a doll that was created by toy-maker Dr Coppelius. However, she is so beautiful that she captures the attention of Franz, a dashing young man from the same village. Franz’s girlfriend, Swanilda, gets jealous and tries to find out the truth about Coppelia.
Despite Franz being involved in a love triangle with a doll and Swanilda’s jealousy issues, the ballet is filled with excitement as the audience watch Swanilda sneaking into Dr Coppelius’ workshop and many celebratory dances in the village.
Considered to be a ballet comedy, the act carries a fun and cheeky vibe that people of all ages can enjoy. “It’s more of a story and it’s very lighthearted compared to the other ballets that I have watched,” explains Brooke Goodyear, an audience of Coppelia.
Through hand motions, intense expressions and fluid movement, the performers conveyed more than words could through their intricate ballet choreography.With a flurry of vivid dance moves and incredible chemistry between the dancers, the ballet exuded vibrancy and an appealing charm. The closing scene was simply magical as the village celebrates the union of Franz and Swanilda in a colourful round of confetti and joyous dancing-executed with perfection of course.
‘Coppelia’ is part of the Singapore Dance Theatre’s 25th anniversary season, where the company produces a string of performances all the way up to December 2013. It was first performed in 1995 by the Singapore Dance Theatre, and is part of their performance repertoire.
Catch Coppélia 14-17 March 2013 at the Esplanade theatre, tickets available through sistic.com.sg. For more information, visit singaporedancetheatre.com.
