Andalusia Ballet will present Coppelia on April 28 starting at 7. p.m. and on Saturday 29th April between 2 and 3 p.m. on the stage of the LBWCC Dixon Center for the Performing Arts.
Emily Anne Morgan will portray Swanhilda Emily Anne Morgan will play Swanhilda, while Jose Soares will be Franz in the Andalusia Ballet’s production “Coppelia” on the Dixon Center for the Performing Arts on April 28 and the following Saturday the 29th of April. (PHOTO Courtesy of Robert Evers)
It is considered to be the ballet’s best comedy Coppelia is the story of an inventor who has a craze as well as the life-like doll that he designs. A villager, Franz, becomes infatuated with the doll. This leads his lover Swanhilda to become jealous. She transforms into the doll and bring it to life in order to impress Franz.
“This marks the 3rd time we’ve performed the dance. I’ve been wanting to stage this show for a few years. It seems to me that it’s the perfect match for our company’s senior dancers and, especially, specifically for Emily Anne Morgan who dances in the part of Swanhilda along with Jose Soares, our Ballet Master. We have an amazing dancer Frederic Rocas of Alabama Ballet joining us to play the character of Dr. C. His acting is fantastic,” Andalusia Ballet Artistic Director Meryane Murphy said.
“This one is going to be enjoyable because I enjoy dancing with characters. I’m having many fun since I’m a normal person instead of a prince the king. It’s a lot like reality,” Jose said.
“I believe that this ballet reveals my personality quite a bit. I am able to flirt with Jose in a lot of ways. There’s a lot of acting in the ballet as well as the choreography intricate that it makes the entire procedure of putting it all together captivating,” Emily Anne said.
Murphy said that through this production Coppelia the cast will be able connect to the audience. “They aren’t just performing on stage and moving together. They actually stare to each other in turn and receive responses. It’s a great dance to perform.”
One of my most memorable moments from the production is that we perform this huge dance with friends. We can engage with each other on stage, and display our individual personalities, and my wish is that the audience will be drawn into our performance as a team,” Emily Anne said.
There’s a lot preparation involved in Coppelia, a show that is as elaborate as.
“You must ensure that you are using the correct timing. We are so focused on the timing and the way we execute our movements,” Jose said. “It is vital that dancers perform the choreography in a correct manner,” Murphy agreed.
Emily Anne added, “While it is a challenge to prepare however, I enjoy performing and performing for the people in our lives is a pleasure!”
The group consists of 60 to 70 dancers from professional levels who will be joining Andalusia Ballet’s professional dancers. The ensemble comprises five dancers who are professional who are part of Alabama Ballet who will be dancing with the local Ballet dancers.
“It makes us feel good to bring in individuals such as this. Our dancers from Andalusia Ballet definitely enjoy seeing the pros we bring in It motivates them to think that they could come back someday. It allows you to dance at the next level. I truly feel that everyone is a part of the show all together,” Murphy said.
“Additionally we are extremely happy to have our Mayor, and the wife of his honorable Earl as well as Sylvia Johnson performing the roles of the Lord and Lady of the Manor. and Father Eric Mancil appearing as the priest, and Robert Foreman reprising his role of Father Time,” Murphy continued.
“Coppelia will be a spectacular performance that is sure to entertain audience members of all different ages. We are hoping that the people of our community will come to see this entertaining and funny dance,” Murphy said.
Seating is reserved and tickets are available on andalusiaballet.com and lbwcc.edu. Tickets are available at the gate 30 minutes prior to the performance.
The year that is the 40th anniversary of Andalusia Ballet, started in the form of The Nutcracker in December. Valentine Dances were staged before Coppelia during February. Andalusia Ballet will have its Spring Showcase in May, and Summer Dances in June.
The article Andalusia Ballet to present Coppelia at Dixon Center this Friday and Saturday appeared in The Andalusia Star-News.
