Eugene Ballet Company’s co
founder Riley Grannan pops into
the role of Dr. Coppelius for this
weekend’s ballet performance,
choreographed by Toni Pimble
DANCE
/ \
By Sara Jarrett
Oregon Daily Emerald
The curtain opens. As the
crowd hushes, Leo Delibes’ music
washes over the silence.
Thus, “Coppelia,” Arthur Saint
Leon’s classical comedic ballet,
begins. The date and place is not
May 25,1870, Paris, howev
er, but Feb. 26, 2000, Eu
gene. Instead of the
Theatre Imperial
de l’Opera, it’s
the Hult Center
for the Perform
ing Arts.
Though these sce
narios are worlds apart, the con
tent of the ballet is remarkably
similar.
Toni Pimble, Eugene Ballet
Company’s artistic director and
choreographer, said that she has
n’t changed the story for Satur
day’s performance because
the music was written
specifically for
this ballet.
Although
many steps
have been
lost over the
years and Pimble
has had to re
choreograph a few
sections, some of the
original choreography
has managed to weather
the test of time.
“‘Coppelia’ is one of the
most popular story ballets,”
she said. “Like the ‘Nutcrack
er,’ it has a charm all its own.”
It’s one of the most accessible
ballets, Pimble explains. Inciden
tally, E.T.A. Hoffman is the author
of both “Der Sandman,” the story
of which this ballet is based on,
and “The Nutcracker and the
Mouse King,” the story that in
spired the “Nutcracker” ballet
two years later in 1890.
“Coppelia” was also the
first ballet to have a doll come
to life. In addition, it was the
first to introduce the czardas
(Hungarian folk dance) as a
theater fiance. Following “Cop
pelia,” many choreographers be
gan incorporating such folk
dances into their ballet. “Swan
Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty” and
“Nutcraker,” are among the ballets
that followed suit.
Because the story of “Coppelia”
is easy to follow, it provides excel
lent family entertainment. In fact,
the story was written for children.
The tale begins as Dr. Cop
pelius, a mysterious doll maker,
creates Coppelia, a beautiful new
doll whom he strategically places
in his upstairs window to fool
passersby into thinking she is his
daughter. Franz, a local peasant
boy, is instantly deceived.
When he falls in love with the
doll, Franz’s fiance Swanilda is
justifiably jealous. Then when
Swanilda sneaks into Dr. Cop
pelius’ workshop, a story of mis
taken identity and magic ensues
as both Franz and Dr. Coppelius
return. In the end, Franz realizes
that the wax doll is inadequate,
and his love for Swanilda is rekin
dled.
Last performed by the Eugene
Ballet Company in 1991, this
show marks the company’s fourth
presentation of “Coppelia.” The
first was during the company’s
first season in the Hult Center in
1983,Pimble said.
The dancers enjoy performing
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character dances, Pimble said, be
cause it’s out of the ordinary. The
most difficult aspects to carry out
in a ballet like this one, she ex
plains, are the character transfor
mations.
This performance of “Coppelia”
also features Riley Grannan, man
aging director of the Eugene Bal
let, dancing the role of Dr. Cop
pelius. After a lengthy dancing
career beginning at the age of 17 in
Eugene, Grannan co-founded the
Eugene Ballet Company with Pim
ble in 1978.
In between, he received a bach
elor’s in fine arts from the School
of Performing Arts at the United
States International University in
San Diego, continued on to the
Academie des Grand Ballets Cana
diens in Montreal, then profes
sionally toured Germany with var
ious companies.
This show will mark Grannan’s
third occasion at personifying the
wacky role of Dr. Coppelius, yet
it’s been a decade since his last en
deavor. Coming back to the char
acter after ten years has allowed
him to see the depth and dimen
sions of this doll maker, he says.
Early in his career, Grannan
played the role with an edge, ac
cording to Pimble. But now,
Grannan is “playing him a little bit
more lovable than he used to,” she
said. “He’s softening with age. ”
“I now see the eccentricities this
character can develop because I
have some of them myself,”
Grannan said, chuckling.
“Dr. Coppelius is nearsighted
on his life,” Grannan said, who ad
mits that he went through a simi
lar stage, but he laughs and says
he’s pulling out of it.
Besides Grannan, “Coppelia”
features Jennifer Martin as Cop
pelia, Sylvia Poolos as Swanilda
and Maxim Tchernyshev as
Franz.This ballet comedy will be
performed at the Hult Center on
Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 27 at
2:30 pm. Ticket prices range be
tween $12 and $55 and can be
purchased by calling the Hult
Center ticket office at 682-5000,
ordered on-line at
eugeneballet.org or bought at the
EMU box office.
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