NCCB’s Spring Recital Had  Many Variations

By Shannon Hicks

For their spring performance recital this year, the students of Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet offered a two-part performance. The first part featured the dancers of the school’s Repertoire Class dancing variations that had been choreographed by guest artist Kelsey Cantore, then Malenkee Ballet Repertoire Company dancers offering their own self-choreographed variations. Following a brief intermission, the full school performed The Toy Shop, an adaptation of Coppelia that had been choreographed by NCCB owner and artistic director Jennifer Johnston.

Performances were offered in the cafetorium at Reed Intermediate School on Friday and Saturday, June 13 and 14. 

Ms Cantore, who had choreographed the program’s first dance, was until last year a dancer with NCCB. She is now a student at Quinnipiac University. In addition to arranging the maneuvers for the 11 dancers plus understudy in “Headlock,” Ms Cantore was invited by her former teacher to dance a role in The Toy Shop. Ms Cantore played The Mayor.

Malenkee Ballet Repertoire Company’s 11 dances included music that ranged from classical — Mary Siroky had selected a version of “Singing in the Rain” as performed by the Boston Pops for her dance — to extremely contemporary, the Academy Award-nominated “Happy Working Song” from the film Enchanted, which Hannah Halloran had selected for her dance.

Three of NCCB’s dancers are graduating from high school this month, and Ms Johnston gave each of them — Patricia Culligan, Jennifer Tichon, and Mary Alice Upshur — the closing dances during the first half of each performance. Miss Culligan selected Elton John’s “Your Song,” Miss Tichon went with Chicago’s “You’re My Inspiration,” and Miss Upshur decided on Copeland’s Rodeo for their final solo performances.

Following intermission came the production of The Toy Shop. The full length version of Coppelia was based upon a story by E.T.A. Hoffman in 1815 and premiered on May 25, 1870, at the Theater Imperial de l’Opera, with Arthur Saint-Leon, and a ballet libretto by Saint-Léon and Charles Nuittier. According to program notes written by Ms Johnston for last weekend’s performances, Coppelia was the first ballet to contain a Czardas, a Hungarian folk dance.

Ms Johnston restaged the original story of Coppelia to incorporate her entire dance studio, providing students of all levels with the opportunity to show various styles of dance, from classical and folk to character, while utilizing their acting abilities. The NCCB performance featured the music of Leo Delibes.

The story line is based on Swanhilda (performed by Miss Tichon), her two best friends (Miss Culligan and Miss Upshur) and Dr Coppelius (Ms Agius), a mysterious inventor who has a toy shop of dolls from various countries. His favorite is Coppelia (Alexandra Hamar).

Swanhilda and her friends are intrigued with Coppelia because everyone in the village thinks she is Dr Coppelius’s daughter, so they sneak into the toy shop to investigate. Before they find the Coppelia doll they encounter the dolls of other countries, including Chinese Doll (Kate Bartel for Friday’s performance; Lauren Bauer on Saturday), Russian Doll (Jacqueline Hoolehan; understudy was Aileen Toal), Spanish Doll (Aileen Toal), and French Doll (Megan Primavera on Friday, Mary Siroky on Saturday).

Also returning to her former studio for this year’s recital was Jennifer Agius, now a student at Barnard College in New York City, who joined the company in the role of Dr Coppelius. Ms Agius and Ms Cantore also performed a dance as Jesters during the Return to The Village scene of The Toy Shop, before returning to their roles as Dr Coppelius and The Mayor, respectively, for the finale.