October 21, 1998
Mark Godden's Dracula makes world premiere with the Royal Winnipeg
Ballet
Choreographer adapts classic tale of terror with brilliance
By Krishna Lalbiharie, News Editor
The world premiere of Mark Godden's Dracula inaugurates the
Royal Winnipeg
Ballet's 1998/99 home season from October 21 to 25 at the Winnipeg
Centennial Concert Hall.
Emblematic of Godden's adept choreographic style, Dracula
combines
elements of dance and surrealistic theatre, while stressing adherence
to
themes and characterizations as evinced within Bram Stoker's novel,
which
premises the ballet throughout.
"I think that Mark has made an inspired choice by going
to Bram
Stoker, "says Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) Artistic Director
André Lewis.
"You see a lot of television and films that are based
on the name
Dracula, but there's actually little to do with Stoker's novel.
This was
really important to Mark."
Considered by many as the quintessential apex of horror fiction,
Stoker's novel survives as a fascinating and telling tale of terrifying
suspense. A hallmark of Victorian fiction, the novel, like Godden's
ballet,
demands an acquiescence to certain otherworldly premises - premises
peculiar to traditional modes of ballet.
In adapting Stoker's novel, Godden has developed a compelling
production within three commensurate, though thoroughly distinct,
acts.
While mindful of the original story, Godden has focused less on
the vampire
killers - Harker, Van Helsing, Seward, etc. - and more directly
on the
female protagonists, Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray. Their hapless
transgression into the world of the immortally damned (the world
of
Dracula) and Mina's rebirth into the land of the living are articulated
well in dramatic performances.
"The first act is about the character Lucy, who falls
prey to
Dracula," says RWB publicist Greg Klassen.
"The second act is a pantomime of the Stoker novel which
then
becomes a metaphorical exploration of the different sides of Dracula.
The
third and final act is Mina's story and her triumph over darknessŠ.
This is
Mark's vision of the story as translated into ballet form."
Although Godden has choreographed and developed 15 ballets
for the
RWB, Dracula represents Godden's first full-length work for the
Winnipeg
company.
"Mark has been involved with the RWB for quite a few years
and has done
some wonderful work Š I think it was time for him to be given
the chance to
do a full-length [ballet] and I think he'd done a great job,"
adds Lewis.
A former RWB principal soloist, Godden has distinguished himself
in
several leading roles, particularly within the RWB's contemporary
repertoire, though of late he has assumed prominence and international
acclaim as a choreographer.
Godden's choreography is expressive and organic. Relying
extensively on the physicality of the dancers - the line and arcs
of their
bodies and the expressions they convey - Godden has woven a performance
that is reflective of a singular vision, though collaborative
in execution.
In developing his vision, Godden and his collaborators conducted
extensive research, mindful of the age in which the original novel
is
presented. This consideration has manifested in the inclusion
of musical,
set and costume design choices, though members involved in the
production
were notably heedful of budgetary constraints.
"When we looked at the costs, the practicality of the
production,
we ultimately decided it would be best if we created our own production
of
Dracula," Lewis says.
"It was a difficult decision to make, because we didn't
know if we
could finance it at the time - it's a big project."
The choreography is accented by the symphonic compositions of
Gustav
Mahler. A contemporary of Stoker's, Mahler's music conveys the
gothic drama
and theatrical-burlesque elements underpinning the Stoker narrative.
"Mahler's music, while certainly dark, equally conveys
the romantic
and lyrical aspects of the novel. The musical choices [Godden]
made using
Mahler are very interesting. His symphonies portray a sense of
mystery
that's greater than life Š the richness of this fits so well
with the theme
of Dracula, even though his symphonies are not always thought
of as
narrative-driven" says Lewis.
Godden has been mindful not simply to thread together parts
of
symphonies, but has collated sections that organically and poignantly
build
upon one another.
"The emotions of the music works well with the movements
of the
dancers. Mark, in choosing Mahler, has combined a classical repertoire
with
a more contemporary vocabulary of danceŠ. You're not just
seeing another
'Giselle,' or 'Swan Lake,' or 'Romeo and Juliet,' but a new and
exciting
Dracula. When you have excellent music and incredible ballet,
there's a
potential for something that transcends all tastes, that can be
captured by
a lot of people. That's what we're hoping for," adds Lewis.
Essential to the production's design and holistic vision,
are the
ballet's opulent costumes and innovative set designs.
"I spent some time thinking how the ballet would look,"
says Paul
Daigle, set and costume designer for the RWB's lavish production.
A graduate of the Professional Division of the RWB School,
Daigle
studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design before embarking
on a
career in dance. A collaborator with Godden on more than a dozen
productions, Daigle has found world renown creating set and costume
designs
for the RWB, the Ballet British Columbia, Ballet Jörgen in
Toronto and
Compañia Nacional de Danza in Mexico.
"Originally [Mark and I] had an idea of how the ballet
would open
in Lucy's bedroom Š which, of course, would have walls and
ceilings and
doors. Eventually, it turned into Lucy's bedroom on the edge of
a cliff Š a
kind of surreal image reflecting Lucy's state of mind," Daigle
says of his
set design choices within the first act.
"Lucy's bedroom," continues Daigle, "matches
her negligee because I
wanted the furniture to absorb her Š I wanted her to be disappearing
into
her environment, slowly being sucked away.
According to Daigle, the second act is performed and staged
within
the tradition of Vaudeville - an "English pantomime Š
where the scenery of
the first act is stripped away to reveal a scary, turbulent, stormy
evening
sky."
The third and final act is accentuated with sets reflecting
the
sanctuary of a convent in Budapest, and then juxtaposed against
the horror
of Dracula's crypt and gargoyle-infested castle - the world of
the living
dead.
In creating the costumes, Daigle has been observant of the
opulent
late-nineteenth-early-twentieth-century conventions of dress reflected
within the novel, but is equally mindful of the ballet form.
"I wanted the players to be fleshed out completely as
characters,
rather than starting from the premise that they're dancers Š
I really
pushed the limit with costumesŠ. They're real, full-length
clothes that
I've modified for dance, although I've really tried to evoke the
period,"
he says.
"What myself and everyone else is striving for,"
says Daigle, "is
for something that's cohesive Š my intention is to make the
production
visually cohesive and facilitate Mark's vision as a choreographer."
Performances of Mark Godden's Dracula in Winnipeg begin Wednesday
and end Sunday, with additional premiere performances in other
cities in
Western Canada.
"Dracula has an instant appeal with a broader audience
that perhaps
hasn't experienced ballet," says Lewis.
"When people hear the name 'Dracula,' they feel comfortable
about
coming to the production and this is exciting - reaching an audience
that
perhaps never had the desire to go [to the ballet]Š. [H]opefully,
it will
have an effect on patrons for many years and will encourage greater
attendance and appreciation of dance and the performing arts,
which can be
seen as elitist."