Re-interpretation of Coppelia
The ballet world is a strange one, and I have found that almost all famous ballets can be read against Freud for strange sex-gender dynamics. A long line of ballets center around unsuitable and often unhuman brides including La Sylphide, Giselle, Ondine, La Peri, Swan Lake, and Coppelia. I chose to write about Coppelia because I’m Hungarian and the play draws from Hungarian culture. I’ve seen the ballet countless times before because twin sister’s ballet company performed Coppelia 2 years consecutively.
In the original version, a toy-maker named Coppelius creates a doll so perfect that he’s almost unaware that she is fake. He’s lonely and dreams of bringing her to life.
An article on Coppelia called “Uncanny Women and Anxious Masters” inspired my recreation of the ballet.
The doll: NICOLE SYKES
Coppelius: MORGAN SORNE
The mirror mask by CAITLIN DIAZ
Stuffed animals by MEGAN HOOVER
Lighting and documentation by DEREK GILDERSLEEVE
NARRATION:
Coppelius is an ill-fated dollmaker. A man who seldom leaves home. Inside his meager house exists his own world of dolls and toys. Over countless nights, Coppelius has slaved to create the perfect woman from only scraps.
Nonetheless he would take a man’s soul to bring her to life.
DOLLMAKER: (( rant))
NARRATION:
In this case even true love can be fueled by narcissism.
He only looks into her enamel eyes for a reflection of himself.
But he doesn’t know this.
DOLLMAKER: She can only love me. I can see it in her eyes.
The doll's movements were inspired heavily by the dance form called butoh. The doll is dancing as if she has seen a ballet dancer and is trying to immitate her. Her body does not function well, hence her strange movements and struggle.