It's almost time for Napoli's premiere! As the professional company heads into the theater this week to prepare for our performances on October 25-27, there's plenty to share from our rehearsals in-studio.
Curious to hear more about the story of Napoli? You can read our blog post on the subject or listen to the dancers of BTM tell it!
Telling a Story Through Dance
As with all classical ballets, Napoli gets its point across through pantomime. Audience members will especially notice this in the opening market scene. Below, members of the company all point to what will be a net full of fish. With Gennaro (here played by Alexander Collen) being a fishermen, his catch of the day puts him at the center of the action.
This moment of focus on the fishing net sets up that the ocean will play a pivotal role throughout the story. Not only is it the source of livelihood for Gennaro and the other fishermen in Naples, it also introduces an element of danger and the supernatural later in the ballet.
Through pantomime, we learn that Teresina's mother wants her daughter to marry either the lemonade seller, Peppo, or the macaroni seller, Giacomo. Teresina insists that Gennaro is the man for her, but the course of true love never did run smooth. As you can see in the image above, Peppo and Giacomo conspire against them by convincing Teresina that Gennaro has been flirting with another woman. Animated gestures and big facial expressions help create the humor of this moment!
To aid in this humorous storytelling and add to the scene's verisimilitude, it's important that the townspeople carry on convincing lives of their own. Our Artistic Director, Nicole Kelsch, has emphasized that we each create a character that we maintain throughout the scene. If you look through the rehearsal images, you'll notice that each background dancer is reacting to the action or living out their role as a townsperson.
Unlike in our courtly ballets like Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake, this is a naturalistic way to set the scene. The interactions between the dancers contribute to the story in the same way as the lighting, sets, and costumes!
Into the Grotto
After a terrible storm leads to Teresina's disappearance, Gennaro searches for her in the mysterious Blue Grotto. Choreographer August Bournonville populated this real-life location with a formidable sea demon named Golfo and his corps de ballet of naiads, or water spirits. Golfo transforms Teresina into a naiad, causing her to lose her memory. The other naiads don't seem to mean Teresina and Gennaro any harm, even if they are a little baffled by Gennaro's arrival.
Gennaro and Teresina's religious faith proves to be the key to unlocking Teresina's memories. Golfo and the naiads initially turn away from them when the couple holds up a religious medal, but they recognize the significance it holds to the two humans. When it is clear that Gennaro and Teresina will be leaving together, Golfo and the naiads send them away with treasures from the deep.
Time for a Wedding!
The first two acts of Napoli emphasize pantomime to tell the story, but Act III highlights dance for the pure joy of moving. As in later story ballets, the main characters' marriage calls for celebration! In Napoli, that means the elegant pas de six and a spirited tarantella.
Part of the fun of the dancing in Act III is that each dancer gets their moment to shine. Above, demi-soloist Erin Jenkins finishes confidently at the end of her variation in the pas de six.
In the tarantella, keep your ears open for its percussive rhythms. As different pairs of dancers perform together, the rest of the ensemble keeps the beat with clapping and tambourines. It should seem like an effortless part of the show, but each phrase of choreography comes with its own individual rhythm. Each time a couple moves on to a new set of steps, you'll hear us onstage changing our rhythm to match! Coordinating this as a group has taken as much effort as learning our choreography.
The tarantella itself has an interesting history. When I sat down to share a few details about Napoli's history, I was excited to share a little about the tarantella itself. Watch to the end to learn where this Italian folk dance is said to come from.
We've been enjoying the whole process of bringing Napoli together, and we hope that you'll join us! Visit our Youtube channel to see our other videos about Napoli or click the link below to reserve your seats for this romantic comedy ballet.
Promotional photos by Joanne Marie Photography
Rehearsal photos by Lauren Martinez
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