Philadelphia Ballet and Angel Corella present Coppélia

Singing with your body

Corella’s process of creating Coppélia started with the music, a lively score by French Romantic composer Léo Delibes. “The music guides you through the story,” he said. Corella met with orchestra director Beatrice Jona Affron and pianist Martha Koeneman to go over the whole score, singing the parts he wanted for his production. Then, he began putting the dance together in the studio. Drawing from his own experience dancing as Franz in multiple versions, Corella guided dancers through the nuances of their roles. Movements must be clear so the audience can see and respond, and facial expressions help convey when Swanilda pretends to be one of the doctor’s dolls. “The great thing is that we have five different casts and each one can bring something really special to the role,” Corella said. “It was really fun to work with them.”

On opening night, dancers Mayara Pineiro and Ashton Roxander will portray Swanilda and Franz. Roxander described Coppélia as a character-driven story full of technical challenges, including acting and comedy. “You have to rely on big movements and big gestures” to make people laugh, he said. “Swanilda is one of the hardest roles” for female dancers, Roxander added. Pineiro agreed that playing a doll and a human can be difficult, but anticipation prevailed. “I’m very excited because it’s going to be my first time playing this role,” she said.

Coppélia offers great dancing in addition to the comedy, making it an easy watch in Corella’s view. “It’s almost like a Broadway show” without vocals, he said; “the dancers are singing with their bodies” instead. Already familiar with story ballets like Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty? Don’t sleep on Coppélia, which Corella and the dancers consider one of the most exciting ballets to watch. Coppélia offers laugh-out-loud moments, heart-warming scenes, and a doll factory to delight young viewers.