Children recruited for ‘Coppelia’ ballet troupe

Press, 24 May 1988, Page 6

Children recruited for ‘Coppelia’ ballet troupe

Thirty Christchurch schoolchildren, aged from seven to 14, will dance this evening alongside New Zealand’s professional ballet troupe. The children will dance in the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s production of “Coppelia,” based on the Hoffman fairytale, “The Sandman.” The troupe is touring New Zealand for 10 weeks, and 30 children were chosen in each centre where .the ballet will perform. They were all selected and rehearsed at least two months before the ballet opens. “Coppelia” opened in Invercargill last week, and will be at the Theatre Royal in Christchurch for a week. Jon Trimmer dances the role of Dr Coppelius, a doll-maker. The story is of Dr Coppelius and the love of Swanilda and Franz. Swanilda dresses up as one of the Doctor’s dolls and he thinks that she has come to life.

Among the professional dancers are

two formerly of Christchurch, Karin Wakefield and Warren Douglas. Ms Wakefield returned from a 2i/ 2 - year trip from Europe earlier this year. She said she was nervous about dancing in Christchurch again. It had been three years since her last performance here. “When you come back from dancing overseas everybody here expects you to have three legs, so I’m nervous about this performance,” she said. While in Europe she danced in Britain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Spain. Mr Douglas said the four different parts he played in the ballet made it a hectic challenge for him. “I feel like a schizophrenic most of the time.”

The ballet’s touring manager, Mr Paul Vlasix, said the troupe expected full houses from its Christchurch audiences. The two-hour performance had played to “very enthusiastic audiences” in its Invercargill and Dunedin seasons.