Word: frantz
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...classical ballet “Coppélia” was first choreographed by Arthur St. Léon to the music of Léo Delibes. It is one of the greatest comic classical ballets in history, telling the whimsical tale of the easily fooled Frantz, his love Swanilda, and their encounters with old Dr. Coppélius, the town toy-maker and magician. Though Frantz originally pesters Dr. Coppélius, he is lured by the beauty of the scheming toy-maker’s life-sized doll Coppélia and bewitched with magic sleeping potion...
Though retaining traditional elements, Boston Ballet’s production follows George Balanchine’s neoclassical choreography of “Coppélia.” The ballet was originally cast in 1974 for Patricia McBride (Swanilda) and Helgi Tomasson (Frantz), two of Balanchine’s greatest stars in the New York City Ballet. This spring, Judith Fugate staged “Coppélia” for two of Boston’s own stars: Misa Kuranaga and Nelson Madrigal...
...evokes McBride’s distinctive articulation and finesse. As the curtains opened on the set of a quaint Austro-Hungarian village, Kuranaga took to the stage with flawless technique, embodying the spirit of the young, vivacious Swanilda with spunk. Madrigal portrayed a naïve and good-natured Frantz, complementing Kuranaga both in character and skill. The first act was light and playful—the dancers of the corps de ballet (the chorus of the Boston Ballet company) swished their period costumes in Balanchine’s authentic character dances. Character dances are stylized portrayals of folk...
...most amusing act of “Coppélia” was the second, as both Swanilda and Frantz delved into mischief. Swanilda and her friends crept through the dark scenery of Dr. Coppélius’s home, winding up his elaborate mechanical dolls to dance around the workshop. Kuranaga revealed her girlish good when she disguised herself as Dr. Coppélius’s beloved doll, fooling the old toy-maker into thinking his masterwork had come to life. Dr. Coppélius, played by the comical Boyko Dossev, hobbled around the stage in delight...
...Festival of the Bells also welcomed the newly wedded Swanilda and Frantz in their closing pas de deux, a duet for a man and a woman. Kuranaga again demonstrated her versatility as an artist: the elegance and poise of a new bride took the place of the mischievous spirit she exuded in Dr. Coppélius’s workshop. Madrigal distinguished himself as a skilled partner, presenting Kuranaga with ease...