Ballets 168

I remember the first time I saw La Fille Mal Gardée. It was at the Royal Opera House, and I was probably about 10 years old. I don’t really remember the dancers or the costumes. But I remember the story. I remember laughing, I remember being captivated by the joy and the silliness, by the sheer exuberance of it all.

Years later, when I started dancing myself, I realised that La Fille Mal Gardée was considered a “classical ballet” — the very antithesis of all the modern stuff I loved to do. My modern ballet teachers always insisted that there was real technique and beauty in the “classical” form, but I just couldn't quite see it. As far as I was concerned, La Fille Mal Gardée was too charming, too comedic, too much like a pantomime. How could this be a work of true art? Surely something as sweet and sentimental must have been lacking in depth.

But now, having seen it again recently at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre, my view has changed. It’s still just as charming, still as funny, and as exuberantly joyful as ever. But now I’m able to appreciate it in a different light, and that makes the charm somehow more potent. And with the incredible artistry of the dancers of the Royal Ballet, I finally began to see the true elegance and complexity of what lies beneath its cheerful exterior. This isn’t just a simple comic ballet. This is something special.

La Fille Mal Gardée is a charming story about Lise, a young country girl who wants to marry the handsome village farmer Colin. Her overprotective and overly ambitious mother Simone, however, has other ideas: she wants to marry her daughter to the wealthy but grumpy landowner, Alain.

There's the added wrinkle that Simone, despite having a bit of a temper, also has the uncanny knack of stumbling over her own feet. Every so often the story explodes into comedy, making Simone a real comedy star in the process, and reminding the audience of the importance of a strong and capable leading comic woman.

This story may sound relatively simple, and, well, it is! The appeal of this piece rests heavily on the talent and experience of the artists who bring this world to life on stage, and the strength of the choreographic and musical underpinnings that help it soar.

The production we watched was Frederic Ashton's version. The piece has undergone several revisions since its original premiere back in 1960. The original choreographer was Jean Dauberval in the 1780s. In recent decades the original libretto (script) and original music were also re-thought. The music is a delicious concoction made from many different composers, so if you can find the time to track down and compare all of them, you’ll really get a feel for how the piece evolved from something simple into this intricate musical journey through time, featuring many musical styles. It's so playful and quirky it truly is hard to fault.

One of the strengths of Ashton’s adaptation is its clever use of choreography. There's the familiar pas de deux, adagio and grand allegro work, and classical lines. But Ashton then injects it with so many extra details, quirky steps, comedic flourishes, and unexpected rhythms that bring the character’s personalities to life so brilliantly. He uses classical technique as a springboard, before injecting that element of playfulness, injecting an improvisational style which really brings out the story in each of the pieces of choreography. Each piece is beautifully designed, and flows from one piece to the next as naturally as if you were at a real party in a little country village somewhere. It’s incredibly theatrical. In the case of this work, it is more than the steps. The theatrical story becomes more important, more visible than most of the rest. Ashton understands what is important here.

One of the things I found especially compelling was how the choreography was so finely tuned to each character. For example, Lise's movements are light and graceful, mirroring her sweet nature and youthful naiveté. The choreography captures her strength of character. Simone’s steps are a combination of elegant, high-reaching adagio, as she tries to show a kind of dignified grace, but also infused with a surprising number of clumsinesses as her personality bursts to the fore. As a dancer it’s important for me to convey more than just a series of steps. A true performance requires understanding, nuance and heart, as Ashton expertly showcases through his intricate choreography. As you might expect the love-interest, Colin’s steps are fast, full of bravado and bold masculine gestures.

Another thing that I noticed is that the choreography never feels static or stagnant. Even during the more traditional “classical” sequences, it has a certain life and energy, constantly moving, constantly shifting in tempo.

The story itself unfolds with great dramatic intensity through these beautifully crafted pieces of choreography. Each individual piece tells us just enough for the scene, then continues onward. It is also incredibly fun to see the more comedic dances mixed with beautiful duets. And there is some really lovely mime and group work too. All in all Ashton’s choreography is an intricate marvel. It deserves all the praise it has received and continues to receive today.

While many critics suggest that Ashton was a bit more “traditionally focused” as a choreographer, early in his career, and only truly hit his “stride” when creating ballets such as “La Fille Mal Gardeé”, “The Dream,” or “The Two Pigeons”, that couldn't be further from the truth. You only have to look at the work he produced during the war — “Les Rendezvous,” “Symphonic Variations” — to see that he was always creating work of the very highest standard, which had nothing to do with “traditionally focused” techniques, but which instead was pushing boundaries in its day.

Of course, all artists go through periods where they find more meaning in certain styles than others. We are always discovering and learning, growing and evolving. As a ballet dancer myself, I know that my style has evolved over time. What we might think is the result of some new discovery may simply be a matter of being influenced by other art forms, other artists, and by the artists and teachers around us at certain periods in our careers. Ashton clearly followed a similar path and reached a point where the subject matter of lighter works such as "La Fille Mal Gardeé” provided him with a more suitable canvas to express some of his true strengths.

When it comes to Ashton, "La Fille Mal Gardée" represents some of his finest work because this lighter, charming world gave him the ideal place to play with the narrative through choreography, and to explore a world that was much more deeply felt and understood. This is what shines through and captivates the audience in “La Fille Mal Gardeé.” It’s a world full of joy and exuberance, of innocence and laughter.

It wouldn't be fair to review La Fille Mal Gardée without discussing the dancers. In this case, all I can say is that the ensemble work from the Royal Ballet was incredible. The piece benefits hugely from a sense of playful exuberance throughout. And this cast truly went for it! Each individual dance performance was a joy to behold. I was enthralled, moved, and really couldn't wait to see what was coming next! In this performance, the comedic scenes truly reached the heights of comedy. And we can see all of the individual personalities shine through in these amazing moments.

So many dancers forget that in ballet, you are more than just dancing steps. Acting is an incredibly important component in ballet and dance more broadly. And while this cast has exceptional technique and timing, the “acting” and their skill as character dancers really helped take the show to the next level! To my mind, you can see it in the way that the dancers were always "in the moment". Their performance was completely believable. You really felt as if you were transported to this country village. For example, in one of the iconic scenes the farmer Alain attempts to serenade Lise in front of the other villagers. A truly clumsy sequence of steps leads the onlookers, the ensemble of the piece, into laughing and swaying in hilarious, choreographed movements of playful banter, completely caught up in the fun and games, just as they would be at a real country party. Even in their comedic performances, there is never any slacking or any sense that this is just a simple “filler scene”. You get that this is just a single small moment in the fabric of their life in this little world, just like it is for the audience at the performance.

I especially enjoyed the performance by Marcelino Sambé as Colin. Sambé embodies Colin’s bold masculine energy perfectly. But beyond his excellent and energetic dance style, Sambé really did some extraordinary acting and mimed communication, allowing him to connect powerfully with Lise through the story. His acting throughout is brilliant.

Then there’s Yasmine Naghdi as Lise, whose movements are just as delicate and light as she is lovely and radiant. You completely believe in the beauty and the naive nature of her character, thanks to Naghdi’s masterful approach. You can't help but be drawn in by her performance. A particular stand out moment occurs at the beginning of the final act, when Naghdi’s Lise, is overcome with heartbreak. Here she takes the audience on a journey of real, deep and heartbreaking emotion. She embodies the fragility of heartbreak with such elegance. For this brief moment the choreography fades away, and her dancing takes a new form as she completely conveys this powerful and painful feeling. Naghdi beautifully portrays Lise's vulnerability and resilience in equal measure, perfectly matching the beautiful character and dance form. Naghdi’s performance made this production so emotionally affecting and helped to elevate it above its simple comedic premise.

Of course, the moment where this emotional heart truly breaks free in the final act occurs with Simone. The powerful dance that the choreographer gives Simone just before the end of the ballet is as poignant and as deeply moving as it is complex, reflecting how we should all experience our triumphs and our failures with grace, especially our heartbreaks. And what a gift to witness how flawlessly this dancer in this role embodies that truth in her performance.

Then we have the music, which is, again, nothing short of extraordinary. It really should be a bit more famous! I always find myself saying that ballet is the art of storytelling. This ballet in particular relies very heavily on the narrative potential of the musical elements of the performance. You really can't separate the story from the dance from the music in this piece, as everything is perfectly intertwined and interconnected.

The music that this performance used features pieces by Hervé, Delibes, and Mozart. It's beautifully compiled and played to perfection. What I really liked about it was that there was such a wonderful variety in the music, that beautifully complements the diversity of Ashton’s choreography.

Some of the pieces were very whimsical, while others were more dramatic or romantic. I could have sat and listened to the orchestra all night long.

Ultimately, La Fille Mal Gardée is a celebration of joy and youthful exuberance. This charming and heartwarming performance made me smile so much! But it was also incredibly moving and evocative, bringing its story, dance and music to life on stage, perfectly. I think Ashton captured something so rare and beautiful in this work - something we often don't get to experience on stage: the beauty of everyday moments, the joy of love and connection, the power of overcoming difficult choices in life. In the context of the stage, we experience all of these feelings with that delicious comedic lightness, and ultimately a sweet and joyous sense of love’s ability to triumph.

For me, this is a piece that is deeply emotional, even in its comical moments. For others, it’s purely about the charm and joy, but for those who love that more emotional side of dance, the true meaning, the joy that is conveyed in La Fille Mal Gardeé truly comes from the strength and talent of the dancers on stage. In its choreography, and music it is a masterful and magical work of art.