Coppelia
My daughter Shelby's ballet company held their annual spring show, this year choosing to do a performance of Coppelia. As always, I was smitten with her performance. Even if I know little about what makes a ballet performance excellent, to me, she always turns in a memorable performance. Of course, all the other girls could've turned in memorable performances, too...but I wouldn't have seen them. My eyes were glued to my child the entire time she was on the stage.
The one thing that intrigues me about the ballet is the stories the dance is based on. In this case, a mad-scientist makes these life-like dolls. There's a couple in the small town that was thinking of getting married, but the hitch was two-fold: First, town legend has it that if true love is in the air, a girl can pick up a sheaf from the wheat harvest and listen to it, and the sheaf will whisper if the man loves her (it didn't). Second, the boy was seen blowing kisses to the life-like beautiful doll Coppelia.
Of course, the potential groom tries to make things better and came in, after a night of drinking, to discover that his intended had snuck into the doll-maker's house and gotten all the life-like dolls to dance. The doll-maker then slips the potential groom a "mickey" to knock him out so he can steal his soul and give it to the doll Coppelia.
It all ends happily ever-after as the spring marriage festival begins and the famous Waltz of the Hours takes place.
But see, the deal is that I wouldn't have picked any of that up unless I had read the story beforehand, which I did right out of the playbill I was handed. I simply don't get "dance" because of that. To me, it would make a great play...if the characters just walked and talked I'd get it. But I gotta say it's pretty darn cool watching the things ballerinas can do up on the tips of their toes and all that...I just fail to see how dance enhances the story.
But then again, I don't have to "get it."
I "get" Shelby.
And I "get" having a passion and a love for something.
And I "get" being supportive of dreams and goals.
So I can enjoy Coppelia just the same, even if it isn't for the reason the people putting on the production wanted me to.
My daughter Shelby's ballet company held their annual spring show, this year choosing to do a performance of Coppelia. As always, I was smitten with her performance. Even if I know little about what makes a ballet performance excellent, to me, she always turns in a memorable performance. Of course, all the other girls could've turned in memorable performances, too...but I wouldn't have seen them. My eyes were glued to my child the entire time she was on the stage.
The one thing that intrigues me about the ballet is the stories the dance is based on. In this case, a mad-scientist makes these life-like dolls. There's a couple in the small town that was thinking of getting married, but the hitch was two-fold: First, town legend has it that if true love is in the air, a girl can pick up a sheaf from the wheat harvest and listen to it, and the sheaf will whisper if the man loves her (it didn't). Second, the boy was seen blowing kisses to the life-like beautiful doll Coppelia.
Of course, the potential groom tries to make things better and came in, after a night of drinking, to discover that his intended had snuck into the doll-maker's house and gotten all the life-like dolls to dance. The doll-maker then slips the potential groom a "mickey" to knock him out so he can steal his soul and give it to the doll Coppelia.
It all ends happily ever-after as the spring marriage festival begins and the famous Waltz of the Hours takes place.
But see, the deal is that I wouldn't have picked any of that up unless I had read the story beforehand, which I did right out of the playbill I was handed. I simply don't get "dance" because of that. To me, it would make a great play...if the characters just walked and talked I'd get it. But I gotta say it's pretty darn cool watching the things ballerinas can do up on the tips of their toes and all that...I just fail to see how dance enhances the story.
But then again, I don't have to "get it."
I "get" Shelby.
And I "get" having a passion and a love for something.
And I "get" being supportive of dreams and goals.
So I can enjoy Coppelia just the same, even if it isn't for the reason the people putting on the production wanted me to.
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