Metamorphosis Dance presents the ballet Coppélia
Don’t miss this free, family-friendly dance performance of excerpts from Coppélia Suite ballet by Metamorphosis Dance company presented by the City of Lakeway Arts Committee on April 16th at 4pm a the Lakeway Activity Center. Coppélia is suitable for all ages and loved by many. With music by famous composer, Léo Delibes, you will be entertained by the beautiful dancing and lively characters. This performance is FREE and open to the public. See you then!
About Coppélia
Coppélia is one of the greatest comedic ballets of the 19th Century. It is the story of an eccentric inventor and the life-like doll he creates. His doll, Coppélia, is mistaken for a live human girl. The dancers perform the Wheat Ballad in which Swanhilda shakes the wheat to see if she can hear it, indicating that Franz loves her. Sadly, she does not hear the wheat and so she believes that Franz is in love with Coppélia. Once the mystery of the life like doll is solved, there is a celebration of the wedding of Swanhilda and Franz where many villagers come together, along with the inventor, to celebrate their love.
Excerpts will include:
- Swanhilda waltz variation
- Wheat Ballad
- Friends Dance
- Dawn
- Prayer
- Work
- L’Hymen
- Franz variation
- Dance of the Hours
History of the Coppélia Suite:
Coppélia, a comic ballet by French composer Léo Delibes that premiered in Paris on May 2, 1870. It was an immediate success and soon reappeared in the form of excerpts scored for piano and as an orchestral suite. Coppélia was based on German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story “Der Sandmann” (1816; “The Sandman”), a dark psychological fantasy concerning a man’s destructive infatuation for a lifelike mechanical doll. The same tale was later featured in Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, which preserved the tragic and surreal mood of the original. Delibes, however, presented French audiences with an amusing and sweet-tempered version of the story. Of particular musical interest are a sequence of folk dances in Act 1, which features eastern European dances such as the mazurka and the czardas; and the mechanical doll’s dance in Act 2, a steady waltz with clockwork precision befitting a dancing automaton.
About Metamorphosis Dance:
Metamorphosis Dance is a unique, dancer-first organization. Dedicated to the art of dance, we believe that innovative choreography and masterful instruction lead to inspirational, enjoyable performance experiences for both dancers and patrons. We bring together experienced professional and aspiring dancers, who work tirelessly to create amazing performances for the people of greater Austin. Founded in 2003-2004, our investment in the greater-Austin community is extensive and far reaching.
