La Boutique fantasque

"La Boutique fantasque" or "The Magic Toy Shop" was a ballet conceived by Leonide Massine who wrote the choreography and the libretto. [http://www.australiadancing.org/subjects/4861.html australiadancing] Quote: "La Boutique fantasque was the first of Leonide Massine's works to be seen in Australia. The inaugural Australian performance took place at the Theatre Royal Adelaide on opening night of the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet tour, 13 October 1936." and: "Valentina Blinova and Leon Woizikowsky were particularly celebrated as the Can-Can Dancers, the roles originally taken by Lydia Lopokova and Massine himself"] Ottorino Respighi wrote the music based on piano pieces by Gioacchino Rossini. Its world premiere was in London on 5 June 1919 and was performed by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. Lydia Lopokova and Massine played the roles of the can-can dancing dolls in the original performance with Enrico Cecchetti as the shopkeeper. Design for the original 1919 performance was by André Derain.

Story

The story of the ballet has similarities to "Die Puppenfee" ("The Fairy Doll"), an old German ballet which had been performed by Serge and Nicholas Legat in St Petersburg in the early twentieth century. Others note the similarities to Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier. [http://www.criticaldance.com/reviews/2002/Diablo_20021201.html criticaldance] ]

Massine's story centers around the love story between two can-can dancer dolls in a toy shop. Its general theme is lightly satirical, incorporating elements of comedy, national folk dance and mime as well as classsical choreography, and its story unfolds in three acts. The story is set in France in late 19th century. [http://www.mendocinoballet.org/news.shtml mendocinoballet] ] A world-famous toymaker has created exquisite dancing dolls in his magic toy shop. The automata perform various dance routines for the prospective customers. In the beginning, the store entertains two English ladies and an American family. [http://www.freewebs.com/library1/boutiquefantasque.html boutiquefantasque] ] Some dolls perform a tarantella for the guests, followed by other dolls dancing a mazurka. Subsequently, new dolls come in and perform another routine involving a snob and a melon vendor. New customers arrive after that, a Russian family, and everyone welcomes them. To honour the new arrivals, five Cossack dolls enter and perform their traditional dance, followed by an animal act featuring two dancing poodle dolls.

Then the most sophisticated dancing dolls, a pair of can-can dancers, come in and perform their routine. Their dance is so enchanting that the American family decides to buy the male doll while the Russian family buys the female dancing doll. The deals are made, the dolls are paid for, and pick-up is arranged for the next day.

During the night the dolls come magically to life and start dancing. They are however upset that the can-can dancers are going to be separated. When the store opens in the morning and the customers come in to pick up their dolls, it is discovered that the can can dancers are no longer there. The customers, not knowing about the secret life of the dolls, blame the shop owner and attack him. In the ensuing fracas the dolls come to the shopkeeper's rescue with the Cossack dolls attacking the customers with their bayonets.

Driven out of the store, the customers watch incredulously from the store window as the happy dolls and the shopkeeper are dancing merrily inside.

Historical details

When Massine left the company of Colonel de Basil in 1937 the ballet was among other works involved in a copyright dispute. Following a legal ruling in 1937 de Basil was no longer allowed to perform pre-1932 works by Massine.

"La Boutique fantasque" was the first ballet by Leonide Massine to be performed in Australia.The Australian premiere of the balet was at the Theatre Royal Adelaide during the opening night of the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet tour on 13 October 1936.

References