A mechanical doll, a mysterious toymaker and
two young lovers all connect and intertwine in a playful plot in
the upcoming Shanghai Ballet
Presented by The Office of Cultural Affairs [OCA], the Shanghai
Ballet, directed by H.A. Muti, will perform tonight in Farthing
Auditorium at 8 p.m.
They will perform the comic tale of “Coppelia,” a story
about a life-sized doll named Coppelia that comes to life.
The full-length performance will be a mixture of mistaken identities,
chaos and comical situations wrapped up in a vibrant small Polish
town atmosphere, according to a Cultural Affairs press release.
“We love presenting dance, especially an international ballet,
because not only is dance popular but this ballet provides a cultural
window,” said Denise Ringler, the director of marketing and
public relations for Cultural Affairs.
The performance is based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffman put to the
music of Leo Delibes and the choreography of Arthur Saint-Leon.
The ballet originally premiered at the Theatre de I Opera in Paris
in 1870, breaking new ground in ballet by interweaving comedy and
pantomime, which had never been seen or done before.
The Shanghai Ballet, founded in 1979, became instantly famous by
their production of “White-Haired Girl.” Through this
fame they came to hold a predominant position in the China ballet
circle, which they continue to hold up to the present day, according
to the Shanghai Ballet Web site.
Since their first production, they have performed many other classical
ballets such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Swan Lake,”
“The Nutcracker” and “Don Quixote,” along with
folk-styled ballets like “Thunderstorm and Soul.”
They also have put on large-scaled ballets, even creating and staging
the four-act ballet “The Legend of Butterfly Lovers.”
In this company of 70, not only have the dancers performed a variety
of ballets, but many have been awarded medals in international dance
competitions.
The Shanghai Ballet has not been confined to China, but has taken
its performances worldwide, including places such as Japan, Korea,
France, Canada, the United States, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore,
Australia, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
The OCA is presenting the Shanghai Ballet as a part of Appalachian’s
2002-2003 Performing Arts Series and has been working on getting
these performances since around October last year.
To bring these performances to Appalachian, the OCA starts around
a year prior to the performance by getting ideas about shows, then
working through an advisor committee composed of students and faculty.
“We would encourage people to come to this type of performance
because ballet has so much to offer; it encompasses every aspect
of the on-stage experience including beautiful music, movement,
lights and costumes,” Ringler said.
Tickets are being sold at the Farthing Auditorium box office. Prices
are $16 for the public, $14 for senior citizens and Appalachian
faculty and staff and $8 for Appalachian students.
The show is estimated to run around 2 hours and will have two intermissions. |
