The lights slowly dim, quieting the audience and bringing the dancers to their places onstage. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a ballet presented by California Arts Academy and the Severance Ballet Conservatory, beautifully portrays a love story through a variety of dancing styles.
Artistic director Julie Ann Keller, owner of the company since 2006, brought dancers of all ages into her production of Shakespeare’s magical comedy. Choreographed by various teachers and directors at the academy, the mix-and-match dance numbers were catered to each dancer’s talent.
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the character Hermia (Paula Obler) refuses to marry her mother’s choice of husband, Demetrius (J. Ross Holly). Hermia requests to her mother, Egeia (Noel Pryor), to marry Lysander (Dylan Armitage) and not Demetrius. In response, her mother says she will either marry Demetrius or be put to death or sent to a convent. As an alternative, Hermia and Lysander run away from home.
In preparation for the wedding day of Hippolyta (Camille Van Putten) and Theseus (J. Orta), Peter Quince (Kennady Reason and Rachel Carlson) gathers a ragtag team to perform a play that will be “the most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.”
As the stage switches the setting to a mystical forest inhabited by Queen Titania’s (Carolyn Lippert and Samantha Harikian) fairies, the audience is first introduced to more eccentric ballet styles. After finding a Changeling Child (Anisah Abdullahi and Dayna Thai), the fairies begin a friendly dance competition using the Irish step dance in order to win over the child.
The scene then returns to Hermia and Lysander in the forest, with Demetrius following, trying to bring Hermia back with him to Athens. Meanwhile, Helena (Julia Ashcroft and Aubree Cliff), yet another character blinded by love, is chasing Demetrius, hoping he will return her romantic feelings.
After a few fights and flights, the fairies, egged on by the devious Puck (Brilynn Hope Rakes and Hannah Ozeran), create a love potion and wreak havoc with the brew, causing several characters to forsake their true loves. In the true fashion of Shakespeare, the plot then becomes tangled with love triangles as Puck desperately tries to right her mistakes.
When I first heard about the ballet, my expectations were high. I prepared myself to see something similar to Fresno’s annual performance of The Nutcracker. I was pleasantly surprised with the unprofessional but no less entertaining A Midsummer Night’s Dream performance.
Although the plot was difficult to understand, the exceedingly wonderful casting and the excellent choreography were a joy to watch, keeping my attention for the duration of the show.
Not only did all the performers dance their routines flawlessly, they also showed remarkable acting skills. Without such dedicated actors, the audience would have likely been completely lost throughout the complicated plot.
The director also made sure the audience was involved in the performance, giving the ballet a heightened interest factor. Little girls in fairy costumes were placed throughout the audience, diverting the attention of the audience and drawing them into a more believable show.
For future performances by the California Arts Academy, visit their calendar online.