Australia Dancing

Coppelia

McMurdo, Don: Australian Ballet performance of 'Coppelia' [3], 1990

Danish ballerina Adeline Genee and members of the Imperial Russian Ballet introduced Australian audiences to Coppelia in Melbourne on the opening night of their 1913 tour. This ballet premiered in Paris on May 25, 1870, choreographed by Arthur Saint-Leon to music by Leo Delibes. Its sentimental, comic libretto, based on a tale by E T A Hoffmann, was devised in collaboration with Charles Nuitter. Although Saint-Leon choreographed the ballet in three acts, the third has frequently been abbreviated or omitted from subsequent versions.

The version of Coppelia presented by Genee was produced by Alexandre Volonine, and included musical additions by C J M Glaser and designs by C Wilhelm. The first Australian production took place in 1931 in Sydney, designed and staged by Louise Lightfoot and performed by the First Australian Ballet with Mischa Burlakov dancing as Franz. The 1930s also saw a suite of dances from Coppelia presented by the Dandre-Levitoff Russian Ballet in a divertissement program during its 1934-35 Australian tour.

The next international company to perform the work in this country was the Original Ballet Russe which opened the brief Sydney season of its two-act production on August 12, 1940. This version was based on Petipa's 1884 revival and staged by Anatol Oboukhoff. Vera Nemtchinova, Tamara Toumanova and Tatiana Riabouchinska alternated as Swanilda, with the roles of Franz and Dr Coppelius performed throughout by Michel Panaieff and Sviatoslav Toumine. Design was by Olga Larose.

Melbourne audiences saw their first Coppelia since the 1913 Genee tour in 1946 when the Borovansky Ballet presented a two-act version with 'choreography by E Borovansky' featuring Edna Busse as Swanilda, Serge Bousloff as Franz and Edouard Borovansky as Dr Coppelius. This popular production remained in the company's repertoire with a revival in the 1950s. A new production, the first in three acts for the Borovansky Ballet, was created in 1960 by the company's new artistic director Peggy van Praagh, featuring designs by Kenneth Rowell. Choreography was credited to 'Lev Ivanov and Enrico Cecchetti' with 'general production revised by Peggy van Praagh'. Kathleen Gorham and Patricia Cox alternated as Swanilda, with Robert Pomie and Jeffrey Kovel as Franz and Algeranoff as Dr Coppelius. This landmark production was presented in the Borovansky Ballet's final performance in 1961 and the inaugural repertoire of the Australian Ballet in 1962. In the new company's opening season guest artists Erik Bruhn and Sonia Arova danced the leading roles. In the 1969 season, Robert Helpmann performed as Dr Coppelius, the role he had first performed in Australia during the 1958-9 Royal Ballet tour.

Van Praagh staged a new version of Coppelia in collaboration with theatre director George Ogilvie and using choreography based on her earlier production and designs by Kristian Fredrikson as her swansong for the Australian Ballet in 1979. Ann Jenner featured as Swanilda, with Kelvin Coe as Franz and Ray Powell as Dr Coppelius. Both of Van Praagh's productions marked important milestones in the history of the flagship company and proved extremely popular.

Coppelia has enjoyed a plethora of professional stagings by other Australian companies. In 1951, the Ballet Guild presented the second act, with designs by Elaine Haxton and with Laurel Martyn and Maxwell Collis in lead roles. The Kouznetsova Ballet also staged this act in the early 1950s, as did the Arts Council Ballet directed by Beth Dean in 1958. The National Theatre Ballet performed a three-act version by Valrene Tweedie in the early 1950s, in which Raymond Trickett and Tweedie danced the leading roles. In 1967, the Victorian Ballet Company, with Poul Gnatt as director, staged an abridged version of the Danish production choreographed by Glasemann and Hans Beck, with Gnatt as Dr Coppelius, Dianne Parrington as Swanilda and Laurence Bishop as Franz. Other productions of Coppelia over the years have been presented by the Sydney Festival Ballet, the North Queensland Ballet, the Tasmanian Ballet and the South Australian Ballet Company. The Queensland Ballet performed the second act in the 1960s, and Leslie White's three-act production in 1977. The West Australian Ballet's staging of the Australian Ballet three-act version, which premiered in 1975 with Ray Powell performing as Dr Coppelius, was a milestone production for this company.

Research Materials

Ephemera | Moving picture | Oral history | Picture | All

[Australian Ballet : Borovansky Ballet], 1960; 1962 (Moving picture): Cast: Sonia Arova, Erik Bruhn, Marilyn Jones, Ray Powell and artists of the Australian Ballet; 8 mm film, shot by Barry Kitcher; colour, no sound, 14 minutes; This home movie recording contains excerpts from Lady and the Fool and One in Five performed by the Australian Ballet in 1962 and excerpts from the Don Quixote pas de deux performed by Sonia Arova and Erik Bruhn during their guest appearance with the Australian Ballet. The recording also contains excerpts from Coppelia, Aurora's Wedding and Nutcracker as performed by the Borovansky Ballet during 1960.; Australian Ballet, The ; Borovansky Ballet ; Jones, Marilyn ; Powell, Ray ; Don Quixote ; Nutcracker ; Aurora's Wedding; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 441464

The Australian Ballet Favourites, 1994 (Moving picture): Cast: Artists of the Australian Ballet; VHS videocassette, produced in conjunction with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation; colour, sound, PAL, 80 mins; Selections from the Australian Ballet repertoire, introduced by Maina Gielgud. Includes excerpts from Giselle, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Spartacus and Songs of a Wayfarer.; Australian Ballet, The ; Giselle ; Gielgud, Maina ; Sleeping Beauty, The ; Spartacus; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 331320

The Australian Ballet: Les Rendezvous and Coppelia, 1963 (Moving picture): Cast: Sonia Arova, Jonathan Watts, Ray Powell, Kathleen Geldard, Karl Welander and artists of the Australian Ballet; 16 mm film; colour, no sound, 10 mins; This home movie recording was made during an Australian Ballet tour to Brisbane in 1963. It includes footage of ballet master Ray Powell conducting a class on stage, excerpts from Frederick Ashton's Les Rendezvous and excerpts from the Peggy van Praagh production of Coppelia. In the excerpts from Coppelia Ray Powell dances Dr Coppelius, Sonia Arova Swanilda and Jonathan Watts Franz. The Coppelia footage includes excerpts from all acts.; van Praagh, Peggy ; Australian Ballet, The ; Powell, Ray ; Geldard, Kathleen; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 507910

[Erik Bruhn Rehearses Coppelia with the Australia Ballet], 1962 (Moving picture): 16 mm film; black and white, no sound, 5 mins; The Australian Ballet is seen rehearsing sections of Coppelia, in particular the Mazurka from Act 1 with Erik Bruhn and Suzanne Musitz as the leading couple. Some backstage shots are included and Peggy van Praagh and Ray Powell are seen directing the rehearsal. Erik Bruhn rehearses the role of Franz. Sonia Arova rehearses the role of Swanilda.; van Praagh, Peggy ; Australian Ballet, The ; Davidson, Suzanne ; Powell, Ray; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title: 141

[Robert Helpmann Prepares for Coppelia], 1969 (Moving picture): 35 mm film; colour, no sound, 3 mins; Robert Helpmann prepares for the role of Dr Coppelius in the Australian Ballet production of Coppelia. He is shown in his dressing room applying make-up and then walking to the stage to begin the performance.; Australian Ballet, The ; Helpmann, Robert; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 25603

The Royal Ballet : [Australian Tour], 1958-1959 (Moving picture): Cast: Anya Linden, David Blair, Rowena Jackson, Philip Chatfield, Patricia Cox, Donald Britton, Lynn Seymour, Robert Helpmann and artists of the (Sadler's Wells) Royal Ballet.; 8 mm film; black and white, no sound, 26 mins; Shot in Melbourne between November 1958 and January 1959 this recording contains very brief excerpts from Swan Lake, Veneziana, Pineapple Poll, Don Quixote (pas de deux), A Blue Rose, Fa?ade, Les Patineurs and Coppelia. Performance snippets include Linden and Blair performing the Swan Lake Act II pas de deux, Blair as Captain Belaye in Pineapple Poll, Jackson and Chatfield dancing sections from Don Quixote pas de deux and Helpmann appearing briefly as Dr Coppelius. Linden and Blair are also seen walking the Melbourne's Spring Street gardens.; Royal Ballet Australian Tour, The ; Helpmann, Robert ; Don Quixote ; Pineapple Poll; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title No: 462928

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Other resources

Find more about Coppelia in:

Internet - Google
Libraries - Libraries Australia
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Pictures - Picture Australia