Ballet mixes classic staples with a twist of modern charm

On Saturday, the Consuming Fire School of Dance and Nu Delta Alpha, a national dance honor society, staged a production of the classic comic ballet “Coppélia: The Girl with the Enamel Eyes” at Memorial Hall. The ballet is loosely based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s short-story “Der Sandmann” (The Sandman) which was published in 1815. The ballet was performed for the first time in 1870 in Paris, France, and features the original musical score by French composer Léo Delibes, as well as original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon.

The integration of the German Hoffman with the French Delibes proved to a great artistic success, as Coppélia holds the title of the most performed ballet at the famed Parisian Opéra Garnier.

This production of “Coppélia,” directed and choreographed by Donna Hoppens, which consisted of three acts and lasted for half an hour, told the story of an inventor named Dr. Coppelius, played by Bret Howsden, who created a life-size doll named Coppélia, played by Kita Lenzo. A village boy named Franz, played by Austin Korb, thought that the doll was a girl and fell in love with her, much to the chagrin of his fiancé Swanilda, played by August Hoppens. Franz tried to re-win Swanilda’s favor, but she rebuffed his efforts. Eventually, Swanilda snuck into Dr. Coppelius’ shop and found many dancing dolls, including Coppelia. Franz finally won Swanilda back, and the ballet concluded with their marriage.

The four main dancers are members of the Consuming Fire School of Dance. Kita Lenzo gave a convincing performance as the graceful yet aloof doll Coppelia. Austin Korb and August Hoppens portrayed the comic tension between Franz and Swanilda. The supporting characters included village members, who performed several folk dances, and Dr. Coppelius’ ensemble of dancing dolls. The doll ensemble was primarily composed of young students from the Consuming Fire School of Dance Theater, while the village members comprised dancers from Nu Delta Alpha.

Although the ballet “Coppélia” traditionally relies on dance and ballet mime to tell the story, a narrator provided commentary to explain the story. The narration was helpful for audience members who were unfamiliar with the story; however, it also interrupted the music. The music also frequently drowned out the narration, to the point that it was inaudible.

The producers of this ballet employed minimal props, such as a door and a chair, and used a projector to provide old-fashioned back-drops for the different settings, such as Coppelius’ shop and the village.  The costumes were varied and colorful, from the villagers’ rustic garb to the dolls’ elaborate dresses and golden masks.

This production of “Coppélia” incorporated dancers of all ages, from young children to adults. The audience of around 40-45 people was also a diverse group of people, from children and college students to the friends and family of the dancers. The scenes with the young children received the best response from the audience, which was supportive of the young dancers.