Stanislavsky Ballet - Roland Petit's Coppelia at the London Coliseum

[nottsballetlover]

 I just don't think that the timing was right in a crowded year for overseas companies and with the Bolshoi arriving the same month. I think that with a relatively small cast and simple set the production would have worked equally well at Sadler's Wells. 

 

Agreed Aileen. Such a lot of empty seats at the Colisseum yesterday matinee and the production would have worked perfectly at Sadlers. I'm not surprised about the empty seats - the ticket prices were really high but I guess this is to do with there being no subsidies for overseas companies?? It was my first time at the Coli - I won't rush back. It's an impressive theatre and expansive stage but lacks the intimacy of Sadlers or for me, the historical 'feel' of the ROH (combined with the exhibitions they always have at ROH, which I always enjoy). I've paid the same price for 2 ballets at Sadlers in the autumn (Stuggart and Bourne Swan Lake) as for the one show yesterday at The Coli . I will be doing the maths more thoughtfully in future.......I'm not made of money!! 

 

As I said, I enjoyed it yesterday and feel very lucky to have seen Sergei dance so well and he appeared happy on stage in the role. Value for money? Just about, all things considered, but stretching it.......I needed the 90 mins in the National Portrait Gallery ahead of my train home to tip that balance to 'yes, it was worth it' as a day out!

[stephenK]

aileen, Saturday evening was Natalia Somova, described as their prima ballerina in the programme. She was good, although gave me the impression she was more classical than this choreography - would like to see her Odette or Giselle.

[alison]

Alison, Coppelia is a bit of a 'heartless' ballet anyway in the sense that there's not really much beyond a frothy rom-com and what is essentially the quite unpleasant deception of an old, rather eccentric man (which I've always felt makes quite uncomfortable viewing).

 

Well yes, I agree with you about the deception (but don't forget that in a lot of productions Coppelius is effectively trying to steal Franz' soul, which isn't exactly nice either), but any decent production I've ever seen has some sort of thread running through it where Swanilda and Franz do actually love each other, only Franz needs to grow up and lose his roving eye before he is ready to become good husband material. Usually he comes out of Coppelius' house a wiser man, and you expect that his and Swanilda's marriage will prosper (and the couple usually show remorse for tricking Coppelius).  Here, I didn't believe there was any relationship between the two, and certainly not one that would lead to marriage: they were just ciphers, and Swanilda didn't seem to be any more to Franz than any other girl he might eye up in the street.  When they appeared for the truncated "wedding" pas de deux, I actually thought "I don't know why you're bothering: this one's clearly doomed to end in divorce".

 

I suspect that is more what was meant by "heartless" in this context.

[aileen]

Well, well, well. Clement Crisp is very complimentary about the production and Sergei (and Kristina and Anton) in his review. I think that he and the reviewer in SeenandHeard are the only critics who liked this production. You can never tell what CC will like. I assumed that he would hate this.

[Bruce Wall]

The production is indeed 'cool' in the way that the French are cool, as opposed to cold.  It is the coolness in Petit - that distance - that always feathers the wit.  I well remember hearty laughter when I first saw it in New York with its original cast (e.g., made up of the stunning Karen Kain - an ahhhhh factor if one was EVER needed - that glorious partner, Gil - which sadly a certain Mr. Polunin is NOT - though a fine dancer in parts - and Petit himself).  The REAL star for me in this production was - without question - Anton Domashev, much as Petit himself had been.  His gloriously rooted detail as Coppelius was sublime.  He has been with the Stanislavsky since 1988 and how I would love to see his Madge.  He well deserved the final bow in front of curtain at the performance I attended and the concentrated shouts of 'Bravo' he received.    

Edited July 15, 2013 by Meunier

[Amelia]

Three cheers to Sergei Polunin for his exuberant performance in “Coppelia”. I saw it twice, the first and the last one.
On the opening night, all the ballet critics, many dancers and numerous ballet-goers were there ‘at watch’ to see what the RB’s former Principal gained (or lost) after leaving London. When the white drop was pulled apart, it revealed him as Franz standing in the centre alone. This audience knew well that he was the Principal of his new company but they didn’t acknowledge it with applause. As if challenging him: prove that you deserve it. But very soon they started responding to him and were clapping in the middle of his solo and even after short passages.
Sitting in the 3rd row of the Stalls I saw how excited he was and how he craved after appreciation. It was so clearly obvious that success in London was very important for him. His jumps were daring, the tours were impetuous and well controlled at the same time, and his acting was exactly in tune with what this gamesome production required.
Although during the interval some people told me of their feeling that this “Coppelia” is rather strange (they were missing the rural cosiness of traditional productions), the performance ended with standing ovation where the best share was addressed to Sergei. He was close to tears. Here is a boy for you who blurts out in his interviews that ballet is not cool. And proves with his dancing how cool it is.

When the white drop was pulled apart at the beginning of the last performance, the audience met Franz with applause. He seemed less nervous this time but danced with the same gusto and chiс. It was such a joy to see dancing of this quality.

Here is Franz’ variation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neLAOEbxXVc

 

And more scenes with Polunin as Franz and Erika Mikirticheva as Swanilda:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hrPL7P85sg
Edited to add the names.

[aileen]

Amelia, thanks for posting these videos. Where are they from? Who do you think Sergei danced with better at the Coliseum?

[Amelia]

Aileen, although I intentionally bought tickets for performances with two different Swanildas but, due to the change of cast, saw Shapran on both occasions.

The videos are from Russian websites. The first one was a transmission from TV 'Big Ballet' competition last year. The watching judges are Derevyanko, Vishneva, Azaryi Plisetsky, Malakhov and Duato. It was an infallible success for Sergei then and the first prize.

The second video shows him in the performance at Stanislavsky Theatre on 12 May earlier this year.