Coppélia

Overview

It's so rare to sit at an event of any kind, and silently wish for it to never end. Such was the case with the Australian Ballet's latest production, Coppélia. A joy to watch, and, given the mix of mime and traditional ballet, a pleasure to dance. At least it seemed that way on the night I attended, each dancer in perfect, nimble form. Debuted at the Paris Opéra in 1870, this version of the ballet was first performed by the Australian Ballet in 1979. The story and costumes, however, err towards timelessness; the latter a mix of restored original pieces and new. Each costume is an elaborate little masterpiece designed by Kristian Fredrikson, the kind of layered outfit one dreams of upon hearing the word 'ballet' — i.e., silk, tulle and pom poms.

The pom-poms reflect the capricious nature of Coppélia, a comedic ballet footed in romance. Over three distinct acts, it tells the tale of a village caught up in the appearance of a new girl in town, the daughter of the resident toy-maker and magician, Dr. Coppelius (Damien Welch). Swanilda (Leanne Stojmenov) is particularly disturbed by the sight of Coppélia when she sees how besotted her beau Franz (Yosvani Ramos) is. With her friends, Swanilda steals a key to Dr. Coppelia's house. Once inside, they are faced with toys that spring to life and a girl with enamel eyes. The lifelike toys are not as cloying as the kind in the Nutcracker, a sense of unease clings to them as much as they amuse. Magic, or at least the allusion of the supernatural, arrives with the sudden appearance of Dr. Coppelius, clad in a cloak straight off the back of Yeah Yeah Yeah's Karen O, its many eyes silently staring at the audience as much as the dancers. He attempts to transfer the spirit of Franz to his lifeless daughter, whose appearance has been assumed by the mischievous Swanilda in one of the ballet's most famous scenes.

There is real emotion in Coppelius' plight and his devastation at being fooled, but, given that this is the kind of ballet where romance prevails, the entire third act is devoted to beautiful wedding dances, demonstrating the enormous amount of talent in toe shoes, particularly that of Yosvani Ramos whose solos are consistently incredible. The most pleasure I've had at the ballet in a long time, Coppélia is the ideal performance for those looking for a little madness with their magic.

Discount tickets available if you're 26 or younger.