Coppélia Story and Character Guide
Our story begins in a sunny square in the heart of Galicia. Colorful homes are decorated with whimsical painted tiles and wisteria. Swanilda lives on the edge of the town square and loves to meet her many friends there. Just around the corner is the home of Dr. Coppelius, who makes enchanting and very life-like […]
The Story of Giselle
Read the full story of Giselle, the classic romantic ballet about a peasant girl’s love, betrayal, and redemption beyond the grave at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
The Enduring Popularity of Romeo and Juliet
By Leah Dooley The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare’s second most popular play. It is one of the most produced and most depicted in the visual arts, and it’s the only Shakespeare play referenced in Taylor Swift’s discography. But did you know that ever since the 16th century, Romeo and Juliet has been a hit? While […]
Tell the Tale: Coppelia
The doll Coppélia, often is seated on a balcony of his workshop overlooking the village square. She is so lifelike that everyone believe her to be a real girl, including Franz. Swanilda is not pleased. Oh well, Franz thinks, she’ll get over it. The town’s mayor then arrives to announce the next day’s festivities in honor of the […]
The Story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The First Act takes place in a forest near the duke’s palace. Oberon, King of the Fairies, and Titania, his queen, quarrel over the Indian child they both want. Oberon orders Puck to bring the flower pierced by Cupid’s arrow (which causes anyone coming under its influence to fall in love with the first person […]
A History of Giselle
“In Westphalia, the former Saxony, all is not dead which lies buried. When we wander there through the old oak groves we can hear the voices of the olden time, and the re-echoes of those deeply mysterious magic spells in which there gushes a [great] fullness of life …A mysterious awe thrilled my soul—when…wandering through […]
GISELLE…Ballet’s Great Tragedy
The History ~ Since its premiere in 1841, Giselle has become one of the most popular ballets of all time and is considered ballet’s great tragedy. Giselle represents the greatest achievement of ballet’s Romantic era. After it fell out of repertory at the Paris Opera, it returned to the West via Russia and had been handed down through generations of […]