Product Details

• Actors: Sir Frederick Ashton, American Ballet Theatre, Ethan Stiefel, Alessandra Ferri, Herman Cornejo
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Kultur Video
• DVD Release Date: April 28, 2004
• Run Time: 54 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001L3LVS
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #61,714 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Television > TV Series By Letter > A > American Dreams

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
To celebrate the centennial of his birth, DANCE IN AMERICA presents American Ballet Theatre's acclaimed staging of Sir Frederick Ashton's magical ballet. Stars Ethan Stiefel, Alessandra Ferri, and Herman Cornejo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great one-acter!, June 7, 2004

By	Charles S. Houser (Binghamton, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely charmer, March 29, 2006

By	Ivy Lin (NY NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ethan Stiefel is absolutely brilliant., May 4, 2004

By	"wallacd" (Wheaton, IL USA) - See all my reviews

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.