Woodlands Online 05/2003
Festival Ballet presents "Coppelia"
June 14, 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Bock Center for Performing Arts
McCullough Auditorium
Can a mysterious, mechanical doll be a serious rival to a lovely young peasant
girl? You bet, until things get straightened out in Coppelia, the storybook
ballet Festival Ballet performs this June 14th at The Bock Center for Performing
Arts, McCullough Auditorium in The Woodlands. And therein lies half the fun.
The ballet follows the adventures of the precocious young Swanilda as she
attempts to find out the secret behind the mysterious Coppelia, a captivating
beauty who sits on her balcony all day, catching the longing gazes of Franz,
Swanilda's fiancé. Little does Swanilda know that Coppelia is a life-sized doll
created by the eccentric Dr. Coppelius. Like The Nutcracker, the story is based
on an E.T.A. Hoffmann fairy tale.
Festival Ballet artistic director Deborah Rayburn calls Coppelia “a sparkling
mix of comedy, romance and intrigue, a perfect ballet to cap the season.” "Not
only does Coppelia showcase classical ballet, but it also features colorful
Slavic, Spanish, and Scottish style national dances," says Rayburn. "Coppelia is
just as fun for the audience as it is for the dancers to perform."
As always Festival Ballet performances feature the best in professional Guest
Artists and local area dancers. The Guest Artist's for this production includes
Norbert Nirewicz (Columbia City Ballet).
These performances will include talented young dancers from The Woodlands,
Montgomery County, Northern Harris County, and Brazoria County who have roles in
Festival Ballet’s production.
Tickets may be purchased by phone at 979-292-0117, or online at
www.festivalballet.info.
For people who don't have prior experience with ballet but are interested in the
art form, Coppelia is a great place to start!