The reimagining of Coppelia has also provided an opportunity for ballet dancer David Power to learn new skills after he suffered a traumatic injury on stage.
Power has been working on staging the show while he recuperates after he broke part of his lower back during a take-off jump in the final rehearsal for Sleeping Beauty in 2021.
“I didn’t realise what I’d done so I just kept dancing,” Power, who is a Queensland Ballet First Company Artist, said.
On doctor’s orders Power had to have surgery to fix the recurring injury in September last year and has been forced to take a 12-month break until his back is fully healed.
When Coppelia opens on Friday audiences will be treated to an Aussie twist in the European ballet which has been re-written to feature some iconic Australiana.
It includes a scene which features ballet dancers playing AFL – the Brisbane Lions were on hand recently when they visited the dancers to share some tips on ball handling skills.
Power has been working behind the scenes with choreographer Greg Horsman to stage the production.
“I can’t say I ever saw myself helping with staging,” Power said.
“But as soon as I got into the studio I felt alive, and almost felt like a dancer again.
“Something clicked and I felt the same pride as I do on stage.”
Power said the most important element with the staging was to achieve the right intention that conveys the message, look and aesthetic he and Greg are after.
“I love this ballet because it contains connection, experiences, and many characters – even if you’re not a lead you still have an important role to play because you’re helping to add to the bigger picture,” Power said.
Staging usually takes five to six weeks and involves a myriad of jobs including casting, teaching steps, and helping to coach and rehearse with the dancers.
Power also helped stage A Midsummer Night’s Dream which opened this year’s season.
He says his favourite part of working behind the scenes has been the connection with ballet, the dancers, the supporters and the community.
The story of Coppelia centres on Dr Coppelius, a German migrant who tries to recreate his lost daughter with a life-size dancing doll.
One of the youths in the village, Franz, becomes infatuated with it and promptly drops his lover Swanhilda, who becomes so jealous she dresses as the doll and ultimately saves Franz from an untimely end.
The classical essence of the light-hearted ballet is seamlessly merged with an Australian aesthetic set against the charming backdrop of 19th century Handorf in South Australia.
Handoff is classified as Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement and is a popular tourist destination located in the Adelaide Hills.
The ballet transcends the classical, incorporating film projection, storytelling theatre, and pantomime, with a playful nod to Australian fashion of the time.
Coppélia is at the Playhouse Theatre, QPAC, from June 7-22. For more information and to secure your tickets, visit the Queensland Ballet website..
