My friends, the wait is over! My critique of the can-can performance by the West Coast Ballet is finally here! I will be using my 1 to 10 scale to evaluate the five key components of what I feel is the perfect can-can.
I was in Santa Barbara, CA on the weekend of July 14-15 for the 24th annual Santa Barbara French Festival. It takes place in Oak Park and has a wide area for shops, food stands, and 2 performance stages: the Eiffel Tower Stage & the Moulin Rouge Stage.
I enjoy this festival even more than most because the West Coast Ballet, under the direction of Miss Ellen Schipper, performs a beautiful can-can on, appropriately enough, the Moulin Rouge Stage. Fortunately I had my camera on hand and a few charming tricks up my sleeve for after the performance.
All right, here is my review. If you need to, you can refer back to the photo set entitled “Santa Barbara French Festival 2012” in order to get a visual reference.
1. Attention to Detail: I give this one a 9.5. Clearly there was a lot of attention paid to the costumes. The top half of each girl’s costume had a silk flower & 2 feathers and each one wore a choker with tiny studs and dangling costume jewels. The rounded collars had ruffles and each blouse had a hint of leg-o-mutton sleeves. I would have liked to have seen an actual sleeve, but the illusion worked without the extra fabric & weight. The bottom half of each costume had a sash tied in a bow at the back of each dress; each petticoat had a great amount of ruffles, and each girl wore a lacy garter on her left leg. Very nice details.
2. Authenticity of Costumes: In this category I give a perfect 10! Ellen Schipper is a genius when dressing her girls in can-can outfits. All the pieces are as follows: Playful, vintage straw hats adorned with silk flowers and feathers; velvet chokers with costume jewels; elegant stage makeup with a touch of glitter; Victorian-inspired blouses with perfect, feminine touches; long, flowing skirts that fall just above the ankles; perfectly frilled petticoats; elegant, coordinated, knee-length Victorian bloomers with “proper” ribbon & lace detailing; colored stockings with fishnet details; and finally, pretty black Mary-Jane dancing slippers that were just perfect for the cheeky ballerina! I would have loved maybe a Victorian boot for extra authenticity, but I feel that the girlish dancing shoes worked perfectly for these ladies, so I let that one slide. In total, some of the best can-can costumes I've ever seen!
3. Choreography: I would give a 9.5. Mrs. Schipper is a true professional with years of experience who has clearly studied from both books and people. The West Coast Ballet girls perform their can-can with such elegance and flair that every move has a lyricism to it. A few smooth cartwheels and a couple of port d’armes kept my attention. There was plenty of skirt manipulation and I could almost hear every swish. A couple of rond de jambs with 3 to 4 girls in a line were just like the old days. Each grand ecart was done with grace, and most of the battements (high kicks) were saved for the finale. The only deduction is for the lack of royal flashes that I didn’t see, although I did see the ghost of one from Stefanie, the girl in pink. Still, the beautiful lyricism and length of lines prove the amount of professionalism here.
4. Length of Music: Deserving of a perfect 10! The full length of Jacques Offenbach’s original score from Orpheus in the Underworld was used here. All the different movements had a variety of different choreography used in them, and the total length had to be no less than seven minutes! I believe the performance lasted between 7 ½ to 8 minutes; more than enough time for the magic to shine over the audience. Trust me; I felt the magic at least 7 times over!
5. Performance Enthusiasm: Deserving a 9.5! Every girl wore a beaming smile on her face! Elegance and lyricism are clearly the trademark feelings as they dance. Every movement is done with flair and grace and the girls love doing every minute of it. Compared to other performances, there may be less cheekiness as well as saucy tidbits, but the professionalism, glee, and enthusiasm are in every step and flourish.
I have come to the conclusion that the West Coast Ballet’s can-can performance at the Santa Barbara French Festival is one of the most superb ever done in the United States! It undoubtedly scores high marks in all my criteria. After waiting through a year of slight disappointment, seeing this troupe in action again was absolutely worth the wait! Using my camera and words, I was able to put together a nice package of Bastille Day beauty for all of my fellow connoisseurs.
If you have the means, I highly recommend taking a trip to Santa Barbara, California in mid-July and enjoying the 2-day French Festival. It’s free, there’s plenty of food and activities, and a can-can performance at least twice daily. I hope I have inspired you to join me next time at this very special occasion. Stay tuned for highlights from my chat with Ellen Schipper, head of the West Coast Ballet.
Thank You, Everyone! I wish you well.
Antonio
