Edmonds’ Olympic Ballet brings comic production ‘Coppelia’ to Everett

  • By Gale Fiege Herald Writer
  • Wednesday, April 2, 2014 6:14pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

It’s a comedy, though “Coppelia” is like most other classic full-length ballets, with a story that includes a certain amount of tension.

Lovers of ballet won’t want to miss this singular opportunity when Olympic Ballet Theatre reprises its professional production of the ballet “Coppelia” at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave.

Set in an Eastern European village, the story is about an eccentric doll maker, Dr. Coppelius, who has made a beautiful, lifelike dancing doll.

Meanwhile, a village maiden named Swanhilda catches her boyfriend, Franz, flirting with what appears to be a beautiful girl sitting on Dr. Coppelius’ balcony. Laughs ensue when Swanhilda finds out the girl is just a doll with enamel eyes. She decides to teach her boyfriend a lesson by impersonating the mysterious maiden on the balcony.

Olympic Ballet directors Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev, both former Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers, choreographed this version of the ballet in 2011, when they took the reins of the Edmonds-based ballet company.

Vinson starred in Olympic Ballet Theatre’s premiere of “Coppelia,” and she again dances the role of Swanhilda. Starring in another title role is Gorboulev as Dr. Coppelius.

Though the husband-wife team has danced leading roles together numerous times, this will be the first time that they are on stage together since 2011, Vinson said.

“Coppelia is such a light-hearted, fun ballet that involves a lot of comedic acting,” Vinson said. “I’m really looking forward to telling the story with Oleg and our wonderful dancers. We have such a great time in rehearsal, I just hope we can keep straight faces during the performance.”

In Everett, the ballet will be accompanied by the 20-member Olympic Ballet Theater orchestra, arranged by Jeanne Case of the Seattle Symphony and conducted by David Alexander Rahbee, director of orchestral activities at the University of Washington School of Music.

“We are so excited to be performing with live orchestra in Everett,” Vinson said.

For tickets, go to OlympicBallet.com or call 425-774-7570.

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.

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