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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasant entertainment, September 28, 2001
If this VHS tape were a beer, it would be labeled, "Ballet Lite". The ephemeral story line is a skimpy background over which some amusing characters get to carry out their harmless activities. It is charmingly replete with colorful costumes and scenery and the music, expertly conducted by Noel Smith, gets the job done very nicely. The main problem, if it can be called that, is that the choreography seems to go out of its way to mask (or downplay) the skill and talent of the truly excellent dancers of The Australian Ballet company. Choreographer Frederick Ashton seems to have been much more interested in showing how many effects he could create with ribbons than with giving the dancers full opportunity to display their abilities. I realize that balletic 'fireworks' are not the primary component of the art form, but the members of this troupe are required to work far too hard to produce the relatively small amount of spectacle which results. However, on the positive side, the most severe ballet critic with whom I am acquainted, my 3-year-old granddaughter, has been won over to this Fille Mal Gardée and has rated it as an acceptable minor companion piece to the marvelous, outstanding performance of "Coppélia" by the same company.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
PURE HAPPINESS (ALMOST...), May 28, 2003
This is, by far, one of the happier ballets in the repertoire. There's no hint of Swan Lake's or Giselle's or what-have-you's gloom and doom, and the immensely capable dancers of the Australian Ballet Company will have you smiling--and, perhaps, dancing--almost regardless of the circumstances beyond your screen. Most of the music is immediately likeable, ultimately loveable, and performed with the utmost panache. Both the (VHS) video and audio quality are quite good, too--at least for KULTUR (which seems, based on other tapes I own, to have grossly inconsistent production standards). Alas, the unbridled gaiety of the ballet is slightly marred by a few absurd characters (a "village idiot", for one, and a "grandmother", for two, both of whom tend to wear a bit thin on repeated viewings), and by some elements of slapstick comedy. But overall, this is an enormously HAPPY work of art--geared to those who are, or wish to be, in a similar state.
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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Happy,lovely and lively performance!, March 20, 2001
They dance with much happiness, it automatically makes us feel peaceful and great. For the first time, I saw the chicken dance, by the way. The main dancers are wonderfully describing the story by their joy of dance. The story and the costumes are based on the farmers. The ballet was invented by a French man in Bordeaux in the year of the French Revolution, The expression of "Lise"here is so vivid, her smile is so beautiful. "Alain "' s performance is pleasing. Lise 's boyfriend 's performance is very sure and skillful as well. This is not the typical ballet story like a fairy tale, it is about the "real people" , Perhaps that' why it makes us feel more cheerful and happier. highly recommended !
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