The Sedona International Film Festival presents Ballet in Cinema on Sunday, June 11 when it hosts the big screen premiere of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from the Paris Opera Ballet in France. There will be one show at 4:00 p.m. at the festival’s Mary D. Fisher Theatre.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” features music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and choreography by George Balanchine. The cast includes the Paris Opera Ballet’s principal dancers and the corps de ballet from the Opera House.
Numerous choreographers have delved into Shakespeare to find dramatic material for their ballets, beginning with Jean-Georges Noverre, an ardent defender of the “action ballet” and Marius Petipa, who was the first to use Mendelssohn’s stage music.
George Balanchine, who also loved the score, would prove no exception. In 1962 he created his version of Shakespeare’s comedy for New York City Ballet. Faithful to the Bard’s vocabulary whilst adding a subtle touch of pantomime, he portrays a complex love story in two acts and six scenes. Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, become caught up in a domestic quarrel between the king of the elves and the queen of the fairies which results in the intervention of the mischievous Puck and his magic potion along with a troupe of amateur actors.
The denouement is celebrated in the form of a grand virtuoso entertainment. One of George Balanchine’s rare narrative ballets, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is entering the Paris Opera Ballet’s repertoire. The sets and costumes for this production have been designed by another magician of the stage, Christian Lacroix.
The story of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
In a forest at night, a complex, amorous intrigue mixes the worlds of humans and magic, of noble characters and popular figures.
In a setting of poetic antiquity, Theseus, duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, celebrate their engagement. To commemorate the event, Bottom and other Athenian craftsmen want to offer them a theatrical performance; they have chosen the tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe, and go to rehearse in the woods outside the town. But it so happens that the lovers Lysander and Hermia are also there, pursued by Demetrius, who loves Hermia, and by Helena, who loves Demetrius. In this same forest, Oberon, the king of the elves, and Titania, the queen of the fairies, are in the midst of a domestic quarrel. To punish his wife, Oberon sprinkles the juice of a magic flower onto the eyelids of the sleeping Titania; the charm will make her fall in love with the first living creature she sees upon awakening. This creature happens to be Bottom, the weaver, whose head has been transformed into that of a donkey by the mischievous Puck, Oberon’s servant, whilst he was rehearsing with his friends.
Oberon, noticing Helena’s distress over her unrequited love, orders Puck to use the magical juice on Demetrius. However, Puck picks the wrong young man and anoints the eyes of Lysander by mistake, causing him to immediately fall in love with Helena. Exasperated by Puck’s error, Oberon applies the magic potion to Demetrius’ eyes and once again the charm takes effect. Helena, who was all alone, is now pursued by both Lysander and Demetrius, whilst Hermia, who a short while ago was thrilled by the love of Lysander and Demetrius, has been abandoned. Puck deliberately aggravates the confusion and the quarrels. But in the end Oberon puts everything back in place. The three couples celebrate their weddings together and also enjoy a memorable performance of Pyramus and Thisbe.