Peter Nicholas Taylor stars as the beast in Ballet Victoria’s production of Beauty and the Beast Friday and Saturday at the Royal Theatre.
Ballet Victoria’s dance adaptation owes more to 18th-century fairy tale and 1946 film than to Disney version
What: Beauty and the Beast Where: Royal Theatre When: May 19 (7:30 p.m.), May 20 (2 p.m.) Tickets: 250-386-6121 Info: balletvictoria.ca
While Disney’s current movie version of Beauty and the Beast has rekindled interest in the classic fairy tale, Ballet Victoria’s take is a different beast altogether, the company’s artistic director says.
“There is no Gaston, because he is not a character who exists in the original, and there are no talking teapots or cups,” says Paul Destrooper, whose choreography will emphasize magic and emotion.
Destrooper, whose unique dance adaptation hews closely to Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s 18th-century fairy tale, says audiences shouldn’t expect familiar Disney tunes, either.
Inspired by Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film, Destrooper aimed to convey the morality of the fairy tale, “where true beauty is found within the heart,” casting Belle as an adventurous and empowered young woman.
Among the deviations from the Broadway musical and current movie version are additional characters, including Belle’s two materialistic sisters.
As well, “the magic of the rose is slightly different,” says Destrooper, who, musically, has opted for a more classical approach to enhance his ballet treatment.
The story’s action will be dramatized by ballet dancers, including Andrea Bayne as Beauty and Luke Thomson as the prince, set to music by Tchaikovsky, Delibes, Dvorak and Gounod.
In the Ballet Victoria version, the rose — depicted by company dancer Risa Kobayashi — will take on noticeable significance, Destrooper adds.
“It’s a magical thing — the rose as allegory, represented by a ballerina in a tutu,” he said. “She’s almost like a fairy. It’s a magical performance.”
In this adaptation, Belle’s imprisoned father tells Beast that the reason he stole his beautiful rose is because a rose “is the only thing Belle has asked for, and none are growing in the garden,” said Destrooper.
“When he explains he just picked the rose for his daughter Belle, Beast realizes that she might come and be able to break the spell, so her father gets to go back home,” he said.
In the original story, Belle is enchanted by the rose and brings it back, he said.
In this case, Beast tells her that if the rose dies, he, too, will die, because of the spell cast on him.
“A rose is beautiful, but also, you have to be careful. There are sometimes consequences to decisions you make,” said Destrooper, referring to what happens when Belle’s sisters abuse the rose’s powers.
While the Ballet Victoria production is a period piece, Destrooper is accenting the fairy tale’s timelessness, incorporating contemporary anecdotes and references to universal experiences about sending messages.
In a production that emphasizes simplicity, beautiful costumes and graceful movement rather than Broadway pizzazz, Destrooper says there’s something for all ages.
“Children will love the familiar characters and story, and adults will appreciate the thorns that accompany the rose in the centre of the story.”
And, no, he adds, you don’t have to be a hardcore dance aficionado to appreciate this Beauty and the Beast.
“If you know nothing about dance, you will enjoy it, and if you know a lot about dance, you will, too, because you will recognize the vignettes that pay homage [to traditional ballets],” he said.