2014/15

The Faerie Queen

A Based on A Midsummer Night’s Photography Réjean Brandt PHOTO: PHOTO:

STUDY GUIDE Elizabeth Lamont ABOUT Canada’s Royal Ballet Réjean Brandt Photography Réjean Brandt PHOTO: PHOTO: Company Dancers Company Dancers

Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally founded Canada’s School nearly 75 years ago. The two women met when Lloyd was running a dance school in Leeds, England and Farrally was her student. They both immigrated to Canada in 1938, and settled in Winnipeg. There they offered dance classes to the community – starting out with only six students in their first year. Word quickly spread, however, and by year two their enrolment had grown and they were able to establish the “Winnipeg Ballet Club.” By 1943, The Winnipeg Ballet was formed with all of its dancers coming from the Club. Six years later, the Company officially became a not-for-profit cultural institution. In 1951, the Company was invited to perform for then Princess Elizabeth during her visit to Winnipeg, just prior to her becoming Her majesty Princess Elizabeth’s visit to Winnipeg visit to Elizabeth’s Princess Her majesty Queen of England. Following her coronation in 1953, she bestowed The Winnipeg Ballet’s “Royal” designation. Between the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) School’s two divisions of study, there is a place for virtually every type of dance student: from preschoolers to adults, those new to dance and those aspiring to become professional dancers. Gweneth Lloyd, Betty Farrally, Betty Farrally, Lloyd, Gweneth T-B includes a command performance which introduces her to The Winnipeg Ballet (1951) The Winnipeg Ballet her to which introduces performance includes a command

THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 1 PREPARING To see the ballet

This booklet is designed to enhance the student’s experience at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s performance of The Faerie Queen, A Ballet Based on a Midsummer Night’s Dream. The activities and information included are organized to help students prepare, understand, enjoy, and respond to their experience watching the performance.

DURING THE PERFORMANCE: AFTER THE Enjoy the ballet! As part of the audience, your attendance is as essential to the ballet PERFORMANCE: performance as the dancers themselves. Prior to arriving at the theatre, discuss Process and respond proper audience etiquette using the keywords below. These steps will help students to the performance handle their feelings and enthusiasm appropriately. It is also very important to arrive by engaging in class on time or even early for the performance in order to allow enough time to settle in discussions or writing a and focus on the performance. letter to the RWB. We love CONCENTRATION: Always sit still and watch in a quiet, concentrated way. This to get feedback from our supports the dancers so that they can do their best work on stage. student groups. QUIET: Auditoriums are designed to carry sound so that the performers can be WRITE TO: heard, which also means that any sound in the audience (whispering, laughing, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet rustling papers or speaking) can be heard by dancers and other audience members. 380 Graham Avenue Your movement or checking your phone and texting disrupts the performance for Winnipeg, MB, R3C 4K2 everyone, so always ensure that phones and other electronic devices are turned off during the entire performance. E [email protected] facebook.com/RWBallet By watching quietly and attentively you show respect for the dancers. The RESPECT: twitter.com/RWBallet dancers show respect for you (the audience) and for the art of dance by doing their very best work. instagram.com/RWBallet pinterest.com/RWBallet APPRECIATION: Do clap at the end of a dance (when there is a pause in the music) if you feel like showing your appreciation.

At Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, our mandate is:

“To enrich the human experience by teaching, creating and performing outstanding dance.” Whether touring the world’s stages, visiting schools, offering rigorous dance classes for all experience levels, or performing at Ballet in each summer, the RWB consistently delivers world class dance and instruction to the citizens Samanta Katz Samanta of Winnipeg and far beyond. PHOTO: PHOTO: Find out more about us at rwb.org. RWB Company Dancers RWB Company Dancers

THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 2 ABOUT Ballet

The First Ballet that have been handed and allow the audience to with the Russian composer In 16th century France and down through centuries, see her intricate footwork Pyotr Tchaikovsky to create Italy, royalty competed to and which now form the and complex jumps, which the lavish story ballet have the most splendid basis of today’s classical often rivaled those of the spectacles such as Swan court. Monarchs ballet style. men. Ballet companies Lake, The Sleeping Beauty would search for and The First were now being set up and . Today, employ the best poets, Professional Dancers all over France to train these still form the musicians and artists. At first, ballets were dancers for the opera. The basis of the classical ballet At this time, dancing performed at the Royal first official repertoire of companies all became increasingly Court, but in 1669 King (a collection of dancers over the world. theatrical. This form of who train professionally) Louis opened the first One Act Ballets entertainment, also called was based at the Paris opera house in Paris. In 1909, the Russian the ballet de court (court Opera and opened in 1713. Ballet was first viewed impresario Serge ballet), featured elaborate publicly in the theatre The Pointe Shoe Diaghilev brought scenery and lavish as part of the opera. By 1830, ballet as a together a group of costumes, plus a series The first opera featuring theatrical art form dancers, choreographers, of processions, poetic ballet, entitled Pomone, truly came into its own. composers, artists speeches, music and included dances created Influenced by the Romantic and designers into his dancing. The first known by Beauchamp. Women Movement, which was company, the Ballets ballet, Le Ballet comique de participated in ballets at sweeping the world of Russes. This company la Reine, was performed at court, but were not seen art, music, literature and took Paris by storm as court in 1581 by the Queen in the theatre until 1681. philosophy, ballet took it introduced, instead of France (and her ladies) Soon, as the number of on a whole new look. The of long story ballets in at her sister’s wedding. performances increased, ballerina ruled supreme. the classical tradition, The Sun King courtiers who danced Female dancers now short one act ballets In the 17th century, for a hobby gave way to wore calf-length, white, such as, Schéhérazade, the popularity and professional dancers who bell-shaped tulle skirts. Les Sylphides, The Rite development of ballet trained longer and harder. To enhance the image of of Spring, Firebird and could be attributed to The physical movement the ballerina as light and Petrouchka. Some of the King Louis XIV of France. of the first professional ethereal, the pointe shoe worlds greatest dancers, He took dancing very dancers was severely was introduced, enabling including seriously and trained daily hindered by their lavish women to dance on the (1881-1931), Vasslav with his dance master, and weighty costumes tips of their toes. Nijinsky (1889-1950) and Pierre Beauchamp. One and headpieces. They also Classical Ballet choreographers Mikhail of the King’s famous wore dancing shoes with Although the term Fokine (1880-1942) and roles was the Rising Sun tiny heels, which made it “classical” is often used to George Balanchine which led him to become rather difficult to dance refer to traditional ballet, (1904-1983) were part of known as the “Sun King.” with pointed toes. this term really describes Diaghilev’s company. King Louis also set up Revealing Feet and Ankles a group of story ballets the Academie Royale de Early in the 18th century first seen in Russia at the Danse (Royal Academy of in Paris, the ballerina, end of the 19th century. Dance) in 1661, where, for Marie , shocked At this time, the centre of the first time, steps were audiences by shortening ballet moved from France structurally codified and her skirts to just above the to Russia. In Russia, the recorded by Beauchamp. ankle. She did this to be French choreographer These are the same steps freer in her movements collaborated

DID YOU KNOW … ? SEE FOR YOURSELF! Dancing ballet puts Do a search for images of ballet a lot of wear on a dancers throughout the ages. dancer’s shoes. Some Can you notice the differences dancers need to get in costumes over time? What do new shoes every week! most dancers wear today? Marie Camargo, with her ankles exposed with her ankles Marie Camargo,

THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 3 THE LIFE OF A DANCER

The career of a dancer is relatively short and it is not unusual to spend more years training than dancing professionally. As in Olympic-level sport, the movements demanded of the human body in ballet are very specific and require great precision and care. For that reason, the physique must be prepared for a professional ballet career at a young age. The professional training period usually consists of at least seven years of intensive, precise work. Ideally, girls and boys should begin their professional training by age ten. Training is a very progressive process. The young professional student begins with daily classes, practicing the basic ballet positions and movements, learning body placement and how to move through the space with balance and artistry. As the student progresses, time spent in classes each week increases, as do the difficulty and extensiveness of the skills taught. In addition to daily class in classical technique, students also receive instruction in variation (solo) work, pointe (dancing on the toes), pas de deux (a dance for two), character (ethnic), jazz and modern dance. Prior to the introduction of pointe work, a number of criteria must be considered. These include the amount of previous training, a dancer’s strength and ability, as well as age as it relates to the bone development in the dancer’s feet. Pas de deux and repertoire (the collection of different ballets a dance company performs) are introduced only when the student has adequate strength, ability and training. Students who graduate to a professional ballet company usually begin dancing as a member of the corps de ballet (ensemble). After a few years, corps de ballet members whose artistry, technical ability, musicality and ability to communicate with the audience set them apart may be promoted to first or second soloist. Finally, the highest achievement in the company, the position of principal dancer or ballerina, is attainable by only a few select dancers. Amanda Green PHOTO: David Cooper PHOTO: Amanda Green

ESTABLISHING DANCE IN NORTH AMERICA Almost all companies and dancers are influenced by Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes. The first visit by this company to North America in 1916-1917 stimulated great interest in ballet. Dancers from the were instrumental in furthering this new interest in ballet. For example, dancer George Balanchine went to the United States and founded the (originally called the American Ballet). He became renowned for perfecting the abstract ballet and for establishing neo-classicism through his choreographic masterpieces such as Serenade, Agon and Concerto Barocco. Ninette de Valois and Marie Rambert also went on to found, respective, England’s Royal Ballet and the . It is from these English roots that two English Women, Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farally, founded the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1939 (the oldest ballet company in Canada). Celia Franca also came to Canada and in 1951, she founded The National Ballet of Canada in . Some of the worlds greatest dancers, including Anna Pavlova (1881-1931), Vasslav Nijinsky (1889-1950) and choreographers Mikhail Fokine (1880-1942) and George Balanchine (1904-1983) were part of Diaghilev’s company.

THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 4 THE FAERIE QUEEN Synopsis A Ballet Based on a Midsummer Night’s Dream CHOREOGRAPHY: John Alleyne COSTUME DESIGN: Kim Nielsen STORY ADAPTATION: John Murrell SET DESIGN: Darren Waterston COMPOSER: Michael Bushnell & Owen Underhill LIGHTING DESIGN: Jean Phillippe Trépanier (adapted from Henry Purcell’s The Queen) LENGTH: 2 hours (run times are approximate)

ACT 1: Here, too, there are troubled hearts. , the Faerie Queen, has adopted two human foundlings and possessively keeps them from her husband, the Faerie King . Hurt by her selfishness, Oberon decides to teach Titania a lesson. He recruits , a mischievous spirit, to find a magical flower with the power to make sleeping victims fall in love with the first creature they see when they wake. Before Oberon and Puck and decide how they want to use this magical flower on Titania they are interrupted by the arrival of all four Athenian lovers – with her beloved Lysander, and Demetrius, who is still being followed by Helena. Oberon leaves, instructing Puck to use the magical flower to make Demetrius love Helena and resolve the quarrel. Puck promises to follow orders, but instead delights in causing all kinds of chaos and amorous confusion. She has her fill of mischief and is about to set everything right when bursts into the Réjean Brandt Photography Réjean Brandt scene, furious. It occurs to Puck that Egeus might be PHOTO: PHOTO: just the right selfish fool to teach Queen Titania a lesson.

Sophia Lee ACT 2: PROLOGUE: ATHENS King Oberon returns from spying on his wife and her foundlings. Inspired by Puck, he transforms Egeus’ The valiant Greek hero Theseus and his warrior bride head into that of a donkey. Together they take him to Hippolyta are celebrating their wedding in a glorious the sleeping Queen Titania and use the magical flower garden in ancient Athens. They recall the story of their to trick her into falling in love with the donkey-headed love and how they won each other’s hearts through acts Athenian. Oberon and Puck spirit the foundlings away, of bravery, charm, and courage in battle. The joyous and Titania’s retinue is forced to fawn over and celebrations are interrupted by Egeus, a noble Athenian entertain the ludicrous couple. who demands judgement in the case of his daughter, Hermia, who is refusing to marry the man he chose for After the new lovers fall asleep Oberon removes the her, the noble Demetrius. Hermia is in love with another enchantment and makes the lesson known to Titania, young man, Lysander. Undeterred by the judgement of who sees the error of her ways and agrees to share her father, the lovers run away together into the forest her foundlings. Puck arranges the Athenians into their and are pursued by Demetrius, who himself is pursued appropriate couples and returns them to the mortal by yet another love-struck Athenian, Helena. Egeus world. Egeus, finally understanding his daughter’s dashes off after all of the young lovers with their hearts happiness and remembering the lessons of his in a muddle. mysterious “midsummer night’s dream,” is prepared to let well enough alone in the realm of love. The mortals Meanwhile, a mysterious spirit conjures a magical storm return to Athens to celebrate a double wedding while that transports Egeus and the young lovers into another twilight descents and the Faerie court revels in the world… power and mystery of love.

THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 5 THE FAERIE QUEEN Characters A Ballet Based on a Midsummer Night’s Dream

EGEUS Hermia’s guardian, asks for help THESEUS engaged HIPPOLYTA wants her to marry Hero of Athens Queen of the Amazons Demetrius

OBERON transforms into an ass

father to father King of the Faeries to HERMIA truly loves LYSANDER ward of Egeus, in love anoints with in love with Hermia love juice with Lysander underlings

lieutenant to lieutenant OBERON’S loves because of RETINUE loves love juice anoints with PUCK married to won’t share them share won’t A spirit of mischief that Titania jealous friend to love juice TWO

loves thanks to Oberon’s love potion love Oberon’s to thanks loves FOUNDLINGS HELENA human children loves DEMETRIUS adopted by Titania in love with betrothed to Hermia Demetrius TITANIA Queen of the Faeries adopted by

TITANIA’S ATTENDANTS The Woodland Faeries: Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, Mustardseed, underlings to Thistledown, Will-o-the-Wisp

FAERIES BEHAVING BADLY is King Arthur’s half-sister in the Arthurian Cycle. Different versions of the stories depict her as sinister or benevolent. ’s Labyrinth (2006), written and Directed by Guillermo del Toro, is a dark faerie tale set during the Spanish Civil War. German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their famous collection Grimm’s Fairy Tales in 1812 under the title Children’s and Household Tales (“Kinder- und Hausmärchen“ in German). Would we consider the original stories suitable for children today? Jim Hensen’s Labyrinth (1986) casts David Bowie as the King after European legends of a faerie king who snatches children. , Painting by Frederick Sandys, Oil on Panel, 1863-1864 Sandys, Oil on Panel, by Frederick , Painting Disney’s Maleficent (2014) reinterprets the old faerie tale (and previous movie) Sleeping Beauty (1959) where Maleficent is a faerie on a quest for vengeance. Morgan Le Fay Le Morgan of the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery Collection

THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 6 A bold, dynamic creator, Alleyne raised the profile of Ballet BC with his contemporary ballet choreography, BIOGRAPHIES showcasing such works as The Archeology of Karl... A romantic adventure (1993), Three Visible Poems (1994), The Don Juan Variations (1995), Can you believe she actually said (1995), Remember Me From Then (1996 with Peter. Goldberg (1998), Schubert (1999), The Faerie Queen (2000, adapted and filmed by CBC), Orpheus (2002) Scheherazade (2002), Carmina Burana (2004), The Rite of Spring (2005), A Streetcar Named Desire (2006), and The Four Seasons (2008). During his tenure at Ballet BC, Alleyne developed audience awareness and greater accessibility and appreciation of dance through numerous community outreach initiatives and educational programs, which directly supported the environment of innovation and creativity inside the company dynamic. These community outreach initiatives and educational programs included John Alleyne ‘Pre- Performance Chats’, ‘Studio Series’, ‘Kids Club’, ‘School Shows’, and ‘The Greater Vancouver Regional John Alleyne was born in Barbados and immigrated to District (GVRD) tours’ to the necklace of communities Canada with his family in 1965. After graduating from The outside of Vancouver, ensuring children and audiences National Ballet School in Toronto in 1978, he joined the from various backgrounds were given the opportunity where he began his choreographic career, to experience live dance performance in an intimate creating numerous compelling works for the Noverre environment. Ballet BC’s annual international Summer workshop and the company’s repertoire, including Phases Dance Intensive and Mentor Program were also (1983), In Variation on a Theme (1984), as well as his first established by Alleyne to provide rigorous training to commission, Weiderkehr (1985). students preparing to make the leap to professional dancer. In 1984, Alleyne returned to Canada and joined The National Ballet of Canada as a First Soloist, accepting the A number of internationally respected companies, position as the company’s resident choreographer from festivals, and institutions have commissioned new 1990 to 1992, creating “innovative and challenging works,” choreography from Alleyne performed as part of a including Blue-Eyed Trek (1988), Split House Geometric variety of festivals, co-productions, and special events, (1989-1990), and Interrogating Slam (1991). Alleyne began including the Canada Dance Festival, the New York City his association with Ballet British Columbia (Ballet BC) in Ballet’s Diamond Project and the ’s the late 1980s when he was invited to choreograph several celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations new works for the west coast company, among them – United We Dance, the , Les Flying To Paris (1989), Go Slow Walter (1990) and Talk About Ballet de Monte Carlo, the National Arts Centre, the Banff Wings (1991). Centre for the Arts, and EDAM with the Firehall Arts Centre. Alleyne was appointed Artistic Director of Ballet BC in 1992. His leadership marked the beginning of a creative Alleyne is the recipient of many prestigious awards and prosperous period in the company’s history where he acknowledging his outstanding contribution to the world created one act and full-length ballets to expand Ballet of dance. He was the recipient of Toronto’s Dora Mavor BC’s contemporary ballet repertoire. Alleyne implemented Moore Award for Outstanding New Choreography for assertive outreach strategies for strengthening the Interrogating Slam (1992); the Harry Jerome Award for company’s identity locally, nationally and internationally. Professional Excellence from the Black Business and He developed collaborative approaches to choreographing Professional Association (1993); the first-ever honorary and presenting contemporary work, evolving a signature Doctorate of Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University Ballet BC style, and actively encouraged artists from (2003); the Vancouver Arts Award for Performing Arts, various mediums to partake in the spirit of creativity and recognizing extraordinary achievement and promise innovative thought inherent within the company. (2004); the Exceptional Achievement Award in the Performing Arts from the Black Historical and Cultural Dedicated to the development of his craft, Alleyne’s Society of British Columbia (2005); and he was a keynote choreography is noted for its technical complexity and speaker at the Golden Key International Honorary Society innovative expansion of the classical ballet lexicon. at the University of British Columbia (2006).

THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 7 William Shakespeare, who wrote the play on which the ballet of The Faerie Queen is based, is probably the most internationally renowned and most widely read of all playwrights. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in England in April, 1564, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are scarce. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. He went to the King’s New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November of 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway and their marriage produced three children. By 1592, Shakespeare (though not severing ties completely with Stratford) left for London to pursue the life of an actor and playwright. In London, he joined up with the acting troupe, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later under King James I, called The King’s Men). The Theatre was one of the main sources of entertainment in Elizabethan England. With the emergence of the middle class, the theatre offered a social gathering place and, above all, entertainment.

Nature Symbolism Many painters, writers, and other artists of the Renaissance used a common language of symbolism to express their ideas. Plants and animals had specific meanings; for instance, ivy meant eternal love and hounds were symbols of loyalty and devotion. Here are the meanings of some traditional plants and animals – some of which you’ll find in The Faerie Queen: In antiquity, conch shells were symbols of love. According to myth, Venus, goddess of love, was born out of sea foam and sailed to land on a conch shell. Butterflies were used as symbols for the soul. Mules were symbolic of stubbornness and ingratitude. Tulips were a symbol of vanity, an association that came from wealthy Europeans’ greed for tulip bulbs imported from the Middle East. They were so popular PHOTO: Larry Smith that they caused an economic collapse in 17th century Holland. Suggested reading: owls For the ancient Greeks and Romans, were Nature and Its Symbols (A Guide to Imagery) symbols of wisdom sacred to Athena, but to medieval Paperback – December 1, 2004, J. Paul Getty Christians they were a bad omen. Museum, by Lucia Impelluso (Author), Poppies were associated with sleep and dreams. Stephen Sartarelli (Translator)

THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 8 DID YOU KNOW … ? English composer Henry Purcell composed his score for an opera of The Faerie Queen in 1692 at the age of 32 (three years before his death) but it was lost, and not rediscovered until 1901.

DID YOU KNOW … ? The ancient Greeks considered romantic love a form of madness, especially ‘love at first sight’.

THE FAERIE QUEEN Designer Kim Nielsen, Costume Credit STUDY GUIDE | 9 CLASSROOM Activities

LANGUAGE ARTS HISTORY Why do you think people are still adapting Research the celebration of Midsummer and the other Shakespeare’s plays hundreds of years holidays that occur on the solstices and equinoxes. What do after he died? What makes his stories still they tell you about the cultures that celebrated them? How relevant today? Discuss other adaptations of do they compare to holidays that are celebrated today? Shakespeare’s plays and how they compare to the ballet. SOCIAL STUDIES To understand The Faerie Queen, you should How is a Shakespearean Theatre different from today’s be with terms related to the world style of theatres? Research the social structure of the of Shakespeare and mythology. Discuss Elizabethan era. During the plays, who would have had the words below, and see if you know their seats and who would have been standing? meaning. • Summer Solstice • Faerie tale • Foundling • Arranged marriage DID YOU KNOW … ? • Madness • Juxtaposition • In some adaptions of A Midsummer Night’s • Eros Dream, Puck is called ‘Robin Goodfellow’ • Carnivalesque after a legendary English , and is • Renaissance played by a man. • Farce • Oberon and Titania are characters in the Why is a Midsummer Night’s Dream considered ancient Roman poet Ovid’s masterpiece a comedy? How does a Shakespearian comedy Metamorphoses. differ from what we typically consider to be a • Faeries are mythical beings from European comedy? folklore that have many different names and The Faerie Queen takes place partly in the Land variations. The word “faerie” comes from of the Faeries. What is this place, and where , and can also be spelled else is it depicted in literature? fayerye, feirie, or fairie. Oberon and Hippolyta are characters from • When the play was first created, all female Roman mythology. Research and discuss the fascination with Greek and Roman stories that roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream would occurred in Europe during the Renaissance. have been played by male actors. Women were not permitted to act on stage. FINE ARTS • Plays were public property in Shakespeare’s The costumes in The Faerie Queen are not day, meaning that anyone could claim classic ballet style costumes. Why do you think that they had written them. This has lead they chose to design the costumes that way? historians today to question the authorship How does costuming effect your perception of the ballet? of some plays that have long been attributed to William Shakespeare. Ballet tells a story using movement instead of words– a challenging task indeed. Pick your • In 1599, the least expensive seat at the favourite scene from A Midsummer Night’s Globe Theatre cost one English penny, or another work of Shakespeare and act most expensive, three English pennies. it out without using any words.

THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 10 LIKE ALL LIVE PRODUCTIONS, EACH BALLET PERFORMANCE ONLY HAPPENS ONCE. Réjean Brandt Photography Réjean Brandt

It is a combination of the performers on stage PHOTO: and the audiences in front of them that make each performance unique. For this reason, it is in the audience’s best interest to be visibly and audibly attentive Elizabeth Lamont, Liang Xing and appreciative – the better the audience, the better the performance on stage will be.

PRODUCTION & STUDENT MATINEE SUPPORTER STUDENT MATINEE SUPPORTER LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! IN MEMORY OF Write to: Peter D. Curry Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet 380 Graham Avenue PERFORMANCE SPONSORS Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3C 4K2

E [email protected]