BWW Q&A: Nicole Kelsh Talks LA ESMERALDA at Ballet Theatre of Maryland

In this uplifting take on Victor Hugo’s masterwork, the vivacious street dancer Esmeralda inadvertently catches the eye of the Archdeacon Claude Frollo. He sends his deformed henchman, Quasimodo, to capture her, but Captain Phoebus de Chateaupers comes to her rescue. Seeing Phoebus’s men begin to punish the misunderstood Quasimodo, Esmeralda is moved by compassion. She begs Phoebus to show mercy.

This act sparks a love story between Esmeralda and Phoebus that is complicated by his engagement to the spiteful noblewoman Fleur-de-Lys. Unaware, Fleur invites Esmeralda to perform at their engagement party the next day. Esmeralda and Phoebus run away together, but the road to their happily ever after is twisted: Claude Frollo returns to stab Phoebus and accuses Esmeralda of this crime. Over Phoebus’s body, the authorities carry her away.

As dawn breaks over the Festival of Fools, Frollo watches Esmeralda walk to her execution. All hope seems lost until Phoebus appears, alive and well! He insists that Esmeralda is innocent. Enraged, Frollo lunges for Esmeralda with his dagger. Quasimodo jumps between them, wrestling the dagger from Frollo’s hand. In the end, it was Esmeralda’s courage and compassion that inspired him to aid her. With Frollo taken care of, Esmeralda reunites with her beloved Phoebus.

Nicole Kelsch received her early training from Peter and Kristin Degnan at Ballet Northeast in Pennsylvania. She also received training from Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Austin, Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts, and Princeton Ballet. Nicole graduated from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Ballet Performance in three years. Upon graduation, she danced professionally with Columbia City Ballet, Atlanta Festival Ballet, and Connecticut Ballet. ​

In 2006, Nicole joined The Ballet Theatre of Maryland as an apprentice under the direction of Dianna Cuatto. She was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2008 and throughout her career was featured as Clara and The Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the Firebird in The Firebird, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, as a Principal in Antony Tudor’s Continuo, the Principal Couple in Italian Symphonette, Titania and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Magdalena in An American Southwest Carmen, Cinderella in Cinderella, Guinevere in Excalibur, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Pearl in The Little Mermaid, and has performed the Don Quixote Pas de Deux.

In 2008, after having served on the faculty for two years, Nicole became the School Principal for The Ballet Theatre of Maryland Conservatory. She was named the Ballet Mistress for the company in 2015. Nicole retired from performing in March 2020 and became the Artistic Director in July 2020. She successfully led the company through a full 2020-2021 performing season at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, staging performances of Edward Stewart’s Dracula, Dianna Cuatto’s The Nutcracker, An American Southwest Carmen, and The Little Mermaid.

What drew you to La Esmeralda as the next production for your company?

I was looking for a ballet the company hadn't performed before. When I watched La Esmerelda, I found the story touching and the dancing exciting. It has dances based in folk dance as well as the grand "tutu" ballet section in Act 2. And the story has humor, tragedy, and drama all in one show.

How does this ballet fit into your broader artistic vision for the season?

This ballet is a great vehicle to push all of the artists in the company in both technique and acting. Every role in the ballet dances a lot and the corps de ballet's acting is as important to furthering the story as the leads' acting. When I'm programming a season, I'm looking for ballets the dancers and audiences know and love as well as ones that are less known to keep things fresh and exciting. La Esmerelda fits that vision perfectly.

What makes your interpretation of La Esmeralda unique from other productions?

It's unique that we are performing it at all since it is not a ballet often done in the US. The high level of acting our dancers bring to the stage is always commented on by audiences and the detail of that acting that goes into every moment of a performance creates a unique and intimate experience for the audience.

What makes the role of Esmeralda such a compelling and challenging role for a dancer?

The dancer portraying Esmerelda has to be able to bring a lot of passion and drama to the incredibly technically demanding choreography. She goes through a journey of emotions in two hours and dances five variations and three pas de deux. Rising to that physical challenge is incredibly fulfilling for a dancer and then layering on the character portrayal and acting really pushes a dancer to new levels in their artistry. Both of the dancers portraying Esmerelda in our production have taken these challenges head on and are truly excelling.

Are there any standout performances or roles audiences should keep an eye on?

Esmerelda is, of course, the main standout. But Quasimodo also has an emotional journey to portray. Initially, he's misunderstood and seen as a villain, but Esmerelda sees past his outward differences to his humanity and kindness and as a result, others do too and he becomes accepted and the true hero of the story.

What would you say to someone who has never seen a ballet before—why is La Esmeralda a great introduction?

Ballets based on great works of literature make productions particularly accessible because audience members usually have some knowledge of the story and an idea of what they will see portrayed onstage. La Esmerelda is full of exciting dancing, humor, a love story, betrayal, false accusations and even a murder! The characters are human and relatable, and the story is at times heartbreaking but ends in a way that will leave the audience feeling uplifted.

What makes this production a must-see this spring?