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The perfect one to dip a (pointed?) toe into Ballet

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La Fille Mal Gard‎ée

When you conjure up images of ‘classical ballet’,  I very much doubt this is what you’d have in mind.  I saw La Fille last week from a seat in the gods* with a friend who had never seen a ballet before and was worried she wouldn’t know what was going on. I could hear her giggling throughout and when it was over said: “I could’ve done with another hour”.

It’s short and sweet at only 2h15, including interval and believe me, there is no danger of not understanding the plot. This is the happiest ballet around and in some ways quite like a pantomime except you get to enjoy the story-line, the uplifting musical score and the comedy without any of the awful audience participation (he’s behiiiind you *rolls eyes*). Add in some romance and more than a few gravity-defying leaps and you’ve got yourself a heart-warming happily ever after.

The plot:

Think Romeo and Juliet’s parental disapproval, set in the English countryside, without all the angst and suicide. Widow Simone wants her young daughter, Lise, to marry the wealthy but socially awkward Alain. Lise is already in love with a handsome shepherd, Colas, who is excellent at wielding a scythe (that era’s Poldark?) but isn’t so good at cashing in after Harvest. Widow Simone does everything in her power to stop her smitten daughter from pursuing Colas but with a bit of misdirection and luck there’s no stopping teen love. Cue: storms which sweep characters into the sky, a healthy dose of slapstick and every prop under the sun from umbrellas to a real life pony… and you’re some way to picturing the chaos and joy.

Famous bits:

Feet-n-feathers

Okay, stick with me here. One rooster and three hens weave their way through this play, kicking off the action by announcing morning’s arrival and setting the scene: we are firmly in the countryside and this is unmistakably a comic ballet. The chickens each have their own personalities and ways of interacting with the other characters: watch out for when Colas touches a chicken and finds himself faced with a very unimpressed rooster! These characters are loopy, endearing and notoriously difficult to play. I like to think that they are also included as a nod to Widow Simone who plays mother hen in her own (overbearing) way.

Pas de ruban (ribbon dance)

Pas literally means: ‘step’ in French but in this context, it’s a dance.
The ribbon dance is an example of a ‘pas de deux’ [pah-der-der] which is a duet, usually between a male and female dancer. This dance showcases Lise and Colas’ playful, young love. For all its lightness, it’s actually a very complicated dance with all the ribbon tricks and a way of showing the characters’ compatibility and devotion. They use the ribbons to physically tie themselves together (possessive much?) and support each other’s weight. Look out for that old school playground yo-yo classic, the cat’s cradle.

The Clog Dance

I don’t know if it’s just me but there’s just something about a man pretending to be an old woman sliding around the stage in clogs that makes you glad to be alive.

Impress a date/ your friends:

  • La Fille Mal Gard‎ée means ‘the poorly guarded girl’ or ‘wayward daughter’. I prefer the older tagline of There is Only One Step from Bad to Good’. Seems to me that yet again it’s the female character who has a head on her shoulders.
  • The ballet in its original form premiered in France in 1789 which makes it one of the oldest ballets still performed today. It’s been adapted both in choreography and score since then though and there are two variations still kicking about: the Russian version and the English version.
  • This Is England. This version is Suffolk-born choreographer Frederick Ashton’s ’60s adaptation celebrating English heritage. Hence the Morris dancing, Maypole and clogs (a Lancashire tradition).
  • A celebration of all things rural (nature, countryside etc). Ashton wanted La Fille to be his version of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony which was a dedication to the joy he felt when reaching the countryside. No pressure, eh.
  • Download the ROH app and pre-order your drinks for the interval. Rather a view of the stunning Opera House architecture than the back of someone else’s thirsty head. Nobody likes a queue.
You don’t have to understand the complexity of the steps to count the 25 turns in Colas’ breathtaking solo or to laugh out loud at the lifelike hen movements. This ballet could make even the most cynical of us burst with the romance of Lise’s fluttering shivers on pointe (technically known as ‘bourrée en couru‘) when Colas kisses up her arm in threes. When all is said and done, what’s not to love about a tale of two youngsters who just want to be together despite the odds?

Date for the diary:

La Fille is running at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden until 22nd October.

If you need some tips which seats to book at the ROH I will be publishing a guide soon but in the mean time, feel free to drop me a line at atticsaltlondon@gmail.com.

I can’t think of a better time to book than on World Ballet Day (4th October)! Tempted? Not convinced? Let me know!

*The seats at the top of a theatre, closest to the ceiling where often there is a painting of Gods and Goddesses looking down on the action.

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