In the face of the ghastly blizzard threatening us this weekend, I changed my ballet ticket from Saturday to Thursday, and with considerable rushing and bustle, managed to get to the Kennedy Center in time to find a parking spot (TWENTY THREE DOLLARS!) and find my seat in time for the magical moment of music starting, curtain opening.
This gorgeous show tells Shakespeare’s play in dance; the fabulous production was created by the Royal Ballet–a magnificent work by a brilliant group of artists: choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, composer Jody Talbot, and their gifted team of designers, costumers, stagers, engineers. This is a major work of art: engaging, inspiring, moving–and, immensely entertaining. The Ballet of Canada performed.
The story is of a two kings who are dear friends, the obsessive jealousy of the one, his wrongly accused queen, a lost child—and a magical happy ending. The two kingdoms in the ballet are as different as winter and summer–Sicilia, the cold realm of King Leontes, with its marble halls, the dark sky perpetually filled with snow–and Bohemia, realm of King Polixenes, forever bathed in light and color.
Ballet is a perfect vehicle for emotion, for acting out what Shakespeare’s words mean. We comprehend the agony of Leontes, suddenly infected with a mad belief that his wife’s unborn child is not his–his dance is all angular shapes, writhing hands clasped behind his back, head down, fierce leaps and frantic leg extensions– “contempt and clamour Will be my knell.”
And Hermione’s heartbreak and valiant innocence are completely conveyed by the pure and beautiful arabesques, elegant turns, and stern upright postures of the lovely dancer, in her simple long white gown.
The play is famous for one of the best stage directions EVER: “Exit, pursued by a bear.
Legions of stage directors have puzzled over that one, how should it be effected? The striking solution in this production is a smoky projection on a huge billowy silk curtain-exotic and beautiful. This method also provides wonderful images of the sailing ship, cresting the billows–a very lovely concept.
Back to the story: the new born princess–like Snow White–is banished to the wilderness. Deserted by her rescuer (who is fleeing the bear), she is found and adopted by the charming and colorful Bohemian peasant folk. SIXTEEN years pass by, marked by an intermission in which the audience goes out to stretch their legs and possibly gnaw on a candy bar. Many of us had not had time for dinner, after all.
Then comes the interlude in the blessed pastoral realm of Bohemia–a rhapsodic interlude of joyful dance and gorgeous duets–with an enchanting on-stage band of musicians, with drums, flute, accordion–the music is irresistible, quirky, charming. It sets your toes to tapping–how I honor Jody Talbot! ! You can’t but smile at the enormous fun the dancers are having–the men leaping to the sky, their skirts whipping about, the women leaping even higher, their playful and exuberant frolics. And there is the infinitely tender duets between the lost princess–Perdita–and her beloved, who is–of course–a prince in disguise–none other than the son of King Polixenes, the man Leontes suspected of seducing Hermione! The prince and Perdita are engaged, there are wedding celebrations–interrupted by the Bohemian King! The lovers flee! Again, the wildly billowing waves and ship–and they come to the land of winter, Sicilia.
Meanwhile, Leontes has bitterly repented his folly, and mourns the loss of his wife, aided by Pauline, Hermione’s lady-in-waiting, who leads him onto the stage, his head resting on her palm, in a singularly affecting gesture of penance and sorrow. They dance before a statue of Hermione, in beautiful gestures of supplication and misery. Then, the young couple rushes in, pursued by the Bohemians–Perdita revealed as Leontes’ daughter–wedding recommences–and then, Paulina judges Leontes has repented enough. It turns out Hermione wasn’t really dead after all! So THAT’S OK, and the ballet ends with another session of that fabulous peasant dancing and the delightful band. Really, the most wonderful show!
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