Ballet Turns the Tobin into Wonderland
BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor –
This weekend, Ballet San Antonio will transform the Tobin Center’s stage into a wonderland inhabited by some characters you have probably heard of: the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee and Twindle Dum, and a girl named Alice who followed the White Rabbit down a tiny hole…
Yes, it’s Lewis Carroll’s iconic tale of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland presented as a fully staged story ballet, that promises to delight both children and adults. It’s such a good material for ballet that it’s rather surprising that so few productions exist. This one was originally created in 2017 by award-winning choreographer Brian Enos for the Grand Rapids Ballet in Michigan. The San Antonio production is essentially the restaging of the original, featuring the 23 dancers of the San Antonio company. The show will have four performances Friday-Sunday at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
To develop his choreographic approach, Enos “started with the book,” focusing on the most recognizable and well-known characters and story developments while also evaluating which of them would translate best into dance. “All these characters express themselves through language in the book. Translating language into dance is always a challenge,” noted the choreographer who is currently the artistic director of the Big Muddy Dance Company in St. Louis.
Another challenge was coming up with a score. For that, Enos enlisted the help of musician/arranger Brendan Hollins who has a vast knowledge of classical music. The two men talked about all the scenes and characters Enos was including, and the mood he wanted for those scenes. Then Hollins went to work on compiling the score from existing compositions by many composers.
“First thing I did was sit down to listen to hours and hours of music,” said Hollins. “I mostly focused on less known pieces from various composers. I think there’s only one piece of music in Alice that people will recognize. Brian and I agreed on a fluid progression of the story and music had to flow with the story.” Altogether, he selected about 20 pieces that were then re-recorded in the desired order. For companies that cannot afford to commission a brand-new score, this method of generating one has become a growing practice, explained Hollins.
But there was yet another problem to solve. Lots of fantastic things happen to Alice during her adventures in Wonderland, things that books and animated films can easily deal with but which become considerably trickier on stage. Disney could make Alice shrink and grow back huge, but a choreographer cannot. Still, there will be magic in this production, promises Enos, courtesy of visual artist and animator Luis Grané. Transitions and transformations are made to look magical by a kind of fusion of live characters with the surrounding video projections, and voila – incredible things will happen right before the audience’s eyes. Grané also designed the costumes and sets.
Two BSA soloists, Heather Neff and Sofie Bertolini, will appear in the role of Alice, who is portrayed as slightly older than in the story. Neff will dance opening night and Saturday night, and Bertolini will replace her on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday. Each has put her stamp on the role. Enos described Neff as being “a little more demure” heroine and Bertolini as sassier. The two also portray the Queen of Hearts when they are not performing the title role. Though Alice dances with all the male characters, her main pas de deux will be with Mayim Stiller as the Caterpillar, and Michael Agudelo as Jack of Clubs.
“It’s a really fun, light and playful production, great for kids but there also a few Easter Eggs for grownups,” said Enos. “I am excited to have this opportunity to show my production outside of Grand Rapids. I have had a lovely experience with Ballet San Antonio; the dancers are excellent and open to playing. There’s a lot of silliness in this ballet.”
Alice in Wonderland, presented by Ballet San Antonio; 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle; tickets $24.50 – $114; tobincenter.org or call 210-223-8624 See also related Interview Express article on this site: Heather Neff