ARTSETC.
“A night of mischief and mayhem”
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Monday, March 22, 2004
Staged at the Madison Civic Center Oscar Mayer Theatre March 19 and 20, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was the first Madison ballet of its kind, bringing together three different areas of the performing arts.
The classic Shakespearian love-comedy was performed by the Madison Ballet in collaboration with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Madison Opera.
Guest artists Christina Fagundes, Ben Huys, Genevieve Custer and Luke Manley performed alongside the Madison Youth Ballet Company, as well as many other professionals, including University of Wisconsin sophomore Libby Olien. This age-diverse cast performed under the artistic direction of W. Earle Smith, with choreography by world renowned artist Peter Anastos.
The plot of Shakespeare’s play is based on “midsummer madness,” something well known to his Elizabethan audience. Central themes of the play include the contrast between reality and delusion, darkness and lightness, and substance and shadow. The story centers around several main characters in a far away kingdom.
The ballet begins in the forest of the king and queen of fairlyland, Oberon and Titania, who argue over who should raise a young changeling child. Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Theseus, Duke of Athens, two couples (Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius) find themselves in difficult positions. Hermia wants to marry Lysander; however, Demetrius wants to marry Hermia even though Helena wants to marry Demetrius.
In attempts to elope, Hermia and Lysander flee to the forest. Demetrius follows the lovers and Helena follows Demetrius. King Oberon asks his servant Puck to pick a special flower so that he may cast a spell on Titania. However, Cupid’s arrow hit the flower before Puck found it, enabling the flower to cast love spells.
Throughout this night of madness, characters fall in and out of love with each other until finally Hermia and Lysander are united and Helena and Demetrius are together. The ballet ends with the marriage of Theseus and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta.
Peter Anastos’s choreography was a mix of traditional ballet along with more unconventional movements.
According to Libby Olien, cast as Helena, the choreography showed “a real athletic ballet.”
“It was not very classic,” she said. “[The dancers were] running around and weren’t very prim or proper.”
Much of the main characters’ movements were very traditional, presenting multiple pirouettes, grand jetés and arabesques. The lines of the soloist’s bodies were defined and easy to see, aiding in many of the shapes the dancers took. Suspension of movement seemed to be a very popular characteristic in the choreography, elongating steps and creating drawn-out extensions of the limbs.
The partners performing on stage were often in unison, which not only assisted with the narrative but also made the love themes visible. In addition to their classical movements, there were also many quirky steps including jumps, leaps and running performed by conniving or frightened characters.
Oberon and Titania’s fairies presented more athletic ballet sequences, running around the stage with lights and other props. Many of these fairies were young dancers. Like their professional counterparts, the choreography of the fairies consisted of both traditional technique and unconventional steps.
The fairies danced with great energy and quality of movement. They were arranged several different ways on stage, sometimes appearing symmetrically, while other times appearing asymmetrically. Each fairy dancer performed in unison with one another, creating a strong visual effect.
The diverse ages of the dancers added a unique element to the ballet. Ms. Olien commented that while each level of performers had their own rehearsals, rehearsals lasted for two months, starting right after “The Nutcracker.” The dancers danced for 10 hours a week ? six on Saturday and four on Sunday.
Collaborating with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Madison Opera proved challenging to the dancers.
“The Symphony [was] only here to rehearse one night,” Olien said. “We rehearsed to tapes for two months and spent one night with them. [We had to] anticipate for anything, be ready for anything. Last night they played faster, so we had to move faster to keep up.”
The teaming up of the different arts is especially important to the Madison community, as construction for the new Overture Center for the Arts will soon be underway on State Street. The new center will integrate Madison’s downtown cultural arts district with performing and visual arts venues. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the first production to assume the vision of the future center.
“Having the three [branches] brings three different audiences together who might not necessarily see the other group,” Olien said. “A person who might go to see a ballet might not see an opera. This opens the doors for the opera. [“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”] paves the way for the Overture Center.”
The next dance productions touring to the Madison Civic Center are “Grease” April 2 and 3 and “Fosse” May 14 and 15.
