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Coppelia

thewunderblog
Oct 6, 2016
1 min read

What Coppelia lacks with regards to the grandeur and intensity of character typically associated with other more widely-known ballets such as Swan Lake or Romeo and Juliet, it makes up for with its comic style and light-hearted manner of storytelling, placing it in the late Romantic style. It is an enchanting story with all the ingredients that make up a successful ballet; a love story, a bit of magic and the lovable villain found in Dr Coppelius’ eccentric toy-shop.

Although the Australian Ballet’s Coppelia cannot be crowned as their most technical triumph, with its slightly messy synchronisation, the feeling of excitement was one hundred percent there. The spirit of the music and the dancers shone through and this energy won the audience over. I left mid-spring-and-still-freezing Melbourne and felt all the wit, cheer and romance in Delibes’ comical score. The exquisite set lived up to my usual high expectations for the company, the highlight being the incredibly detailed interior of Dr Coppelius’ dollhouse. Kudos to the ‘dolls’ who had to essentially stand still for an entire act; not an easy feat.

The Australian Ballet’s Coppelia perfectly captures the light-hearted nature of the ballet, allowing for an atmosphere of relaxation and enjoyment in its audience, and begging more laughs and smiles than usual. Coppelia ends the Australian Ballet’s 2016 season with a performance that is highly accessible to a crowd which contains ballet-lovers and ballet-newbies alike; the perfect way to set the happy tone for the end of a successful year.