Last minute warning – another live transmission from the Royal Opera House coming up this week at Oxford’s Phoenix Picturehouse, this time of the wholly delightful La Fille mal gardée.
Frederick Ashton’s final full-length ballet is one of his most joyous creations, imbued with his love for the Suffolk countryside. It is based on an 1828 French ballet and the music was adapted by John Lanchbery from Ferdinand Hérold’s original score. La Fille mal gardée was a resounding success on its premiere in 1960 and it has remained a firm part of The Royal Ballet’s repertory since. The title translates as The Wayward Daughter.
Ashton’s choreography calls for a high level of virtuosity from its principals – the youthful passion of Lise and her lover, Colas, is expressed in a series of energetic pas de deux. The ballet is laced with good humour and a whirl of dancing chickens, grouchy guardians and halfwit suitors take to the stage. Ashton affectionately incorporated elements of national folk dance into his choreography, from a Lancashire clog dance to a maypole dance, making La Fille mal gardée (despite its title) The Royal Ballet’s most emphatically English work. Osbert Lancaster’s colourful designs reinforce the robust wit of the production.
Taking the lead at this performance are Roberta Marquez as Lise and Stephen McRae as Colas – not to be missed!
Performance: Wednesday 16th May 2012, 7.15pm
Booking information: Book online by selecting a time or call the Box Office:
0871 902 5736 (10p a minute from a landline)
Oxford Dance Writers 
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