Review: COPPELIA at Les Bois Junior Ballet

This weekend I was honored to see "Coppelia" produced by Les Bois Junior Ballet. "Coppelia" is a comic ballet about Dr Coppelius (Dwayne Winslow) who has made a life-size doll. The doll is so lifelike that Franz, a young boy in the village, (Yale Langworthy) falls in love with her and casts aside his true love, Swanhilda (Johanna Schroeder). Swanhilda and her friends go into the Dr's house to find the young girl who has stolen her love's heart and finds that she is in fact a doll. Franz, who then comes to see the doctor and find his new love, gets poisoned by the doctor. The doctor tries to take Franz's soul to bring Coppelia (Riley Cedergreen) to life. Swanhilda dresses up as Coppelia to trick the doctor and save Franz. She succeeds and the couple reunite and marry.

I have been lucky enough to witness Christine Mills teaching her classes. She is a lovely teacher and fantastic with choreography and encouraging the very beginning to the more advanced dancer. They were all included in this piece and it was just a delight. The different pieces were filled with fantastic young performers, decorated in gorgeous costumes and each one looked as though they were having as much fun as we were watching them.

My favorite parts of this piece were the parents who were cast in the adult roles of the ballet and part of the comic relief of the show. My other favorite was a single dancer, Ariana Troxel. Ariana was mostly in the older group of girls in several dances but she stood out, in a good way. I was quite pleased that she had a beautiful solo at the end of the ballet.

The gorgeous music of Leo Delibes, the fantastic costumes, simple and lovely set, and fabulous dancers off all ages, made this ballet fantastic.

I have heard that Ms Mills is leaving the Treasure Valley. I am sure that is quite disappointing for her students as they are losing a fantastic teacher and we, the patrons are going to miss her fantastic offerings.

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