Dance Review : ABT Closes ‘Coppelia’ with Two New Casts

Experienced Swanildas joined neophyte Franzes in two Sunday performances of American Ballet Theatre’s redecorated “Coppelia” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

For the matinee Swanilda, Ballet Theatre cast Cheryl Yeager, who had danced the leading role in this production when its new sets and costumes were first seen two months ago.

This was an exceptionally polished and detailed portrayal, notable for its easy, distinctive pantomime along with its fresh, sensitively phrased classicism. Warm and kittenish in the interplay with Franz, Yeager brought to the doll dances with Coppelius a sense of playful fantasy and triumphantly conquered the tests of balance in the last-act adagio.

Gil Boggs had never previously danced the role of Franz--though he had portrayed Coppelius--and the apparent effort of partnering Yeager in the last act left him looking a bit under-energized in his final solos. Indeed, his best dancing came early: in the spectacularly high, smooth air turns of the Czardas. However, his rapport with Yeager in the mime scenes proved consistently delightful.

In the same cast, Deirdre Carberry danced Aurora very sweetly and Gabrielle Brown looked impressively stately as Prayer. Victor Barbee again played Coppelius.

Sunday evening belonged to ABT senior ballerina Cynthia Gregory, now billed as a guest artist. Wrapping herself in a youthful radiance for the outer acts, Gregory danced with effortless authority, even stretching the sustained balances of the wedding adagio for maximum excitement.

However, her most original moments came in Act 2, with strongly defined expressions of concern for the helpless Franz, along with deep sympathy for the deluded Coppelius.

Dancing Franz for the first time, Jeremy Collins made the confused young man a poetic dreamer caught up in the fantasy of love for a beautiful girl on a balcony. He supported this custom-tailored characterization with dancing of sustained elegance (notwithstanding moments of technical insecurity), partnering of great care--and he even managed an unusually deft drunk scene.