Customer Reviews

Ashton - The Dream / Ethan Stiefel, Alessandra Ferri, Herman Cornejo, American Ballet Theater

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this DVD without realizing that it wasn't Balanchine's two-act "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (for that you need to purchase the DVD of the Pacific Northwest Ballet's wonderful performance). The confusion is logical, though. Both Ashton's "The Dream" and Balanchine's masterpiece were written in the early 60's (Ashton's in 1964, two years after the first performance of Balanchine's work) and both utilize a variety of instrumental and choral music composed by Mendelssohn. It would be hard to believe that Ashton never saw Balanchine's ballet (if he didn't, he certainly listened carefully to the reports of his ballet-world spies).

Both ballets are witty and respectful of their Shakespearian source. And both compress their storytelling to a single act (Balanchine tells the story in Act I and dedicates Act II to divertissements.) The confusion and rivalry of the two pairs of lovers (Helena and Demetrius; Hermia and Lysander) is amusingly extenuated in Balanchine's ballet; as is the story of Bottom's overnight conversion into an ass. But the pyrotechnics of the male leads (Oberon and Puck) takes center stage in Ashton's work. Steifel and Cornejo dance these parts brilliantly. And Titania (danced by Alessandra Ferri) is regal without being cold or spiteful (not quite the proto-feminist of Balanchine's ballet). Ashton's ballet has a sustained element of delight and never needs to resort to the tricks employed by Balanchine to dazzle the younger people in his audience (fog machines, cute ballet school students playing butterflies and fairies, and a cable to lift Puck skyward at the end of the ballet). Dance is king in "The Dream." Both ballets are great, and for me, Ashton's "The Dream" was a great discovery!

Sadly, there are no extras on this DVD.

In 1962, George Balanchine choreographed "Midsummer's Night Dream," which has become one of his most well-loved ballets. It is structured much like a classical ballet. The first act is in the woods, the second act is a series of divertissements. Two years later, Sir Frederick Ashton choreographed "The Dream," also a take on Shakespeare's play, and also using Mendelssohn's famous score. Despite the similarities in music and source, the Balanchine and Ashton ballets differ quite a bit. Ironically, Balanchine, who so championed abstract, plotless ballets, made his ballet more plot-based. More traditional ballet storytelling devices are used, such as mime. Ashton's ballet, while telling essentially the same story, is more dance-driven.

The focus of the ballets also differs slightly. The heart of the Ashton ballet is the conflict and reconciliation of the quarreling Fairy Queen Titania and Fairy King Oberon. While the comic storylines of Titania falling in love with a donkey and the quarreling of the interchangable lovers (Hermia, Lysander, Helenia, and Demetrius) are all touched upon, essentially this is Oberon and Titania's show. The ballet ends with a lovely duet of reconciliation between the two fairies. Balanchine, on the other hand, focused more on the comic aspects of the play. Puck's confusion as he administers his love potions, the incredibly silly lover-foursome, and most of all, Titania's love for Bottom the Donkeyhead. In fact, the major pas de deux is between Titania and Bottom. Ashton uses the same music in the reconciliation pas de deux between Oberon and Titania. I think overall, Balanchine tells the story better. It's not that Ashton doesnt tell the same story, but he doesn't underline and clarify it the way Balanchine does via mime and clever stage action. Balanchine's second act also includes one of his most beautiful pas de deux he ever choreographed.

That being said, I enjoy both ballets, although I find Balanchine's to be more funny and entertaining. This video of The Dream is certainly excellent. The American Ballet Theatre in recent years has grown into a worldclass ballet company. It always had famous international soloists, but now the corps work is also excellent, and there really is no weak link in the cast. In particular, the port-te-bras of the corps de ballet has improved by leaps and bounds compared to videos from the 1970s and 1980s, and you can see this in the video. The fairies are lovely and garner much applause from the appreciative audience. (In Balanchine's version, some of the fairies and butterflies are cute kids.) The costumes and sets are almost breathtakingly beautiful.

The lovely, graceful Alessandra Ferri is an elegant yet sexy Titania. Never a classical technician, this kind of role is perfect for Ferri, who really looks best floating around the stage in chiffony dresses. This is not a knock on Ferri's dancing, but she's not really a tutu ballerina. Her strength lies in the wonderful softness of her dancing, her seeming weightlessness, and her overall grace and charm. Ethan Stiefel (Oberon) has always had a somewhat stern, forbidding stage presence, and it's well suited for the role of Oberon who is, after all, a jerk. He's tall, thin, and he used to dance with the New York City Ballet, so he still has that company's strength of being adept at fast footwork. His technical skills are formidable, although for me he lacks that little extra something that would catapult him from a very good dancer to a true star. Herman Cornejo is an excellent Puck -- short, but with incredible elevation, he really does seem to be a sprite flying about the woods. In Ashton's ballet the lovers (Stella Abrera, Carlos Molina, Marian Butler, and Ethan Brown) have little dancing to do, but they are entertaining.
Overall, an enjoyable, charming video, although I think it's overpriced, as it is, after all, only 50 minutes long. Usually this ballet is paired with another ballet. One wonders what that ballet was, and why it wasn't taped. There is an excellent video of Balanchine's Midsummer's Night Dream that is available on dvd, danced by the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

The ABT's performance of Frederick Ashton's "The Dream" is magical and Ethan Stiefel's portrayal of Oberon is absolutely brilliant. It is Stiefel's outstanding performance, both dancing and acting, that is truly indispensable and holds the entire production together. From his masterful arabesques and pirouettes to his wonderful characterization, Stiefel shows why he is a great dancer.

Wonderful performances were also given by Herman Cornejo as Puck, Stella Abrera as Hermia and Ethan Brown as Demetrius. From the principals to the corp, everyone gives energetic and stylish performances.

This DVD is not to be missed.

I love this ballet and Ethan Stiefel as Oberon and Alessandra Ferri as Titania are absolutely incredible. Because this story is a comedy, it's a fun ballet to watch for all ages. I highly recommend the The Dream to anyone who is a fan of the American Ballet Theater or ballet.

All the dancers in this were well cast. Alessandra Ferri always seems light and graceful and full of passion anyway, so the role of Titania is perfect for her. Though I always enjoy Ethan Stiefel's dancing, I've never been a fan of his acting abilities until now...his arrogant, scheming Oberon blended well with his prowess of technique. The four lovers were entertaining, even if Hermia (and the four faery handmaidens) did use the open-mouthed "oh my god, s/he did NOT just do that" routine a few too many times. Herman Cornejo is the perfect Puck in Ashton's vision. The children who watched this ballet with me compared him to Tigger, and that's actually a more accurate description than my adult mind could give him. Bouncy, mischievous, alternately endearing and distratcting...perfect for Puck.

The sets and costumes are lovely and ethereal without being overdone. I've seen other productions of this ballet (as well as Balanchine's version) and this one had the best costuming for Oberon by a long shot. I liked that it concentrated on Oberon being the King of the Forest, as opposed to an overly effeminate faery or forcing a purely human machismo the character doesn't possess. But the camera work needed help. It was static when it should have been dynamic, and filled with jump cuts when it should have held a mid shot steadily. But that's typical for ABT videos, I'm afraid. They really need to hire someone else to do their editing because the current editor wastes too much of the skilled dancers' performances.

I Imagine this was an excellent performance of Ashton's "The Dream". I say "imagine" because this DVD is an object lesson in how not to film a ballet. The camera work is frenetic, zooming in and out every few seconds, cutting from one part of the stage to the other without rhyme or reason, destroying all sense of flow and denying the viewer any possibility of appreciating the dancing or the choreography. Half of the shots are only of the dancers' upper bodies. Doesn't the director know that dance involves the feet and the body's line? By the end of the disc I felt dizzied by the cutting and peeved at having wasted my money. Save yours!

There are some very good reviews on this ballet from folks much more versed in the art of ballet than I, but I'll betcha most of those buying them are about as knowledgeable as I. You know what YOU think is beautiful and that's about all you need to know.

There are several things beautiful about this ballet. Number one, the music by Mendelssohn is some of the most beautiful your ears will ever have the pleasure to hear. But, I'll bet you knew that already. I listen to his music, and think to myself, "I'll bet that seventeen year old kid was having a ball writing that music, with the tinkling sound of fairies and the braying of donkeys, and the silly antics of love-struck humans as they are manipulated by an impish Puck and his master Oberon.

Number two, the sets and costumes in this production are also very beautiful, and very colorful. The lighting is perfect for a night-time scene, and every one is well lit.

Number three, both principle actors are beautiful especially Alessandra Ferri. Just gorgeous. Everyone in the cast looked gorgeous. Well, Ethan Stiefel may not want to be called beautiful, so if not I will change his description to handsome.

Number four, even the donkey was beautiful, and I must say I didn't believe that was a man dancing that part because I have never seen a man dance en pointe before, but I played it over and over and I cannot see where anyone changed places with him, so it must have been Julio Bragado-Young dancing that part. He was very good en pointe, by the way. This donkey is much more beautiful than the one in BBC's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The Dream is a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen non-HD DVD version and looks almost as good as an HD DVD played on an HD player. I have the HD DVD version of A Midsummer Night's Dream and the quality of The Dream is just about as good as the HD version.

The Dream"s Puck is really the best puck I've seen and that includes Mickey Rooney's Puck in that movie version of A midsummer Night's Dream, made maybe 70 years ago (I'm 77), but I did see that movie not too long ago. Herman Cornejo is a really delightful Puck. OK, his acrobatic dancing is beautiful.

This is a very funny ballet, and the scene I think is the funniest is when the lovers Hermia and Lysander are preparing to go to sleep in the woodland glade, the expression on Hermia's face when Lysander feigns such a wound to his ego as she only let him kiss her on the cheek, is worth the price of this DVD, even though I know it isn't at all cheap. All-in-all well worth the money, and you will not be sorry if you buy it. I'm not. Happy viewing. Oh, by the way, you'll know everyone lived happily ever after when you hear Mendelssohn's Wedding March as all the reunited lovers leave the woodland scene for home, to get married of course.

I loved this DVD the dancers are excellent. The scenery is nice too. Highly recommend it.

If you prefer athletic dancing and beautiful costumes, then you will probably enjoy this immensely. I generally don't buy ballet DVDs because the vibrancy doesn't translate well to film for some reason. Dynamic energy is not lacking in this film. The couples have good chemistry and Puck steals the show with his comic timing and effortless-looking leaps and bounds. I ordred it from Netflix but now I want my own copy.