Cartoon Ballet Coppelia to Go on Stage
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Seoul Ballet Theater (SBT) is presenting the cartoon ballet ``Coppelia,'' one of most beloved tales about a life-size dancing doll, next month.
This is the second time the ballet troupe is staging the performance. SBT introduced ``Coppelia'' last year for the first time, which proved to be a hit. Tickets were instantly sold out for all four acts. This year, the SBT has arranged a more polished version with more interesting characters and stage presentation.
An old and mysterious inventor Coppelius makes a life-size dancing doll ``Coppelia.'' So beautiful and real, she is mistaken for being a real person, and the complicated relationship between the doll and villagers starts to unfold. Among admirers, the young villager Franz falls in love with Coppelia's beauty, rendering jealousy to his fiance Swanilda.
James Jeon, the resident choreographer of SBT, has given the original ballet a more comical and modern twist, with colorful costumes, cartoon-like settings and special stage acts. The performance will give the audience a chance to watch dancers dressed up as Korean traditional dolls, clown dolls and even a headless version of a doll.
``I think it's a trend. Many ballet performances are stepping out of their classical mould and experimenting with new, fun features. Coppelia is a cartoon ballet. The costumes and settings are very vivid in color and the movements are exaggerated, unlike ordinary ballet,'' Lee Ju-kyong from Arts Play, the performance organizer said.
Originally written as ``Der Sandman'' by German romantic author E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1815, ``Coppelia'' has been compared with other famous ballet performances, especially ``Giselle'' and ``The Nutcracker.''
While ``Giselle'' is a tragic love story that takes place in a peasant village, Coppelia is famous as a comical ballet with a similar backdrop. ``The Nutcracker'' and ``Coppelia'' can be considered as sister works, as they were written by the same author and both stories revolve around a life-size doll.
The music is another factor that makes the ballet special. French composer Leo Delibes composed the music for ``Coppelia,'' which later influenced many famous composers including Tchaikovsky and Debussy.
Dramatic features will add to the performance ― with dancers jumping off the stage and sharing their acts with the audience. ``Coppelia'' will be a fun and unforgettable experience for kids and adults alike.
``The performance will indeed grab audiences' attention. `Coppelia' is already a comedy, but we managed to recreate it and bring it to the next level in creativity and detail,'' Lee said.
Coppelia will be on stage at Seoul Arts Center July 4-6 and also at the Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center July 11-12. Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 40,000 won. Visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call (02) 594-4025.