The Red Shoes

On Friday, September 22, at 8pm, I saw The Red Shoes at the Ahmanson Theatre, choreographed and directed by Matthew Bourne. Based on the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, as well as the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, The Red Shoes tells the story of Victoria Page, a dancer, and her lover, composer Julian Craster. The couple meets working for Ballet Lermontov, Victoria as a corps dancer and Julian as an assistant to the composer. After the principal dancer breaks her ankle, the ballet master, Boris Lermontov, casts Victoria as the lead in a new ballet, The Red Shoes, and assigns Julian to the creation of the score. Taunting Victoria with a pair of red shoes, Lermontov confesses his feelings for her, and when she does not reciprocate, he fires Julian in his jealous rage. Victoria leaves the company and marries Julian in London. She and Julian attempt to leave behind their artistic pasts at Ballet Lermontov in pursuit of a new life where their love can grow, but instead, they find themselves trapped in artless professions and miserable in their relationship. In the end, Victoria finds herself torn between the lure of artistic achievement and her love for Julian. Just as her character in The Red Shoes meets a tragic end, so too does Victoria, losing everything in the pursuit of fleeting artistic merit.

Because much of the show revolves around creating and performing in a show, many of the scenes in The Red Shoes are emblematic of the life of a dancer. Dancers wore leg warmers and warmed up onstage before the performances, and fought over barre spots, costumes, and roles. The hustle and bustle of the movement on the stage mimicked the frenzy of show week, and it reminds me so much of the work and effort I put into my craft for the few minutes I spend on stage. Further, I relate to the conflict between art and relationships. I have chosen my art over my relationships many times in my life, and even though this has not led to my actual death, sometimes the loss of a relationship for the purpose of art is incredibly painful. The show reminded me to continue to fight for my art, but to also strike a balance between my relationships and personal life.

The cast was relatively small (about 16 people) for the amount of characters and roles available. As a result, each of the dancers displayed incredible versatility, seamlessly moving between costumes and personas. The dancers playing Victoria and Julian had an exquisite pas de deux at the beginning of Act II. They danced along an oceanside backdrop with such emotion that I could feel their love from my balcony seat. One aspect of the performance I did not expect was the moving scenery. The dancers had to constantly adjust to varying fronts and facings as the stage adjusted to portray the studio, the city of London, and the stage of Ballet Lermontov.

I could see myself dancing in this show. I loved the versatility of the corps dancers, and I felt that I could fit into the blend of musical theatre, ballet, and contemporary dance displayed in the choreography and performance. The dancers were strong and displayed extreme control in their movements, but I did not feel that their level was far above that of my classmates at LMU. This left me strangely dissatisfied and satisfied all at once; I am used to watching shows where I spend two hours longing to be as talented as the dancers on stage, so I felt in this aspect, the dancers did not meet my expectations. On a larger scale, however, I realized how talented the dancers I surround myself with are, and how they constantly push me toward a greater artistic purpose, and this was a satisfying feeling.

I attended The Red Shoes with three of my best friends as an early celebration of my birthday. In the past two years, I have been thoroughly consumed by the trend of abstract contemporary dance, and I forgot the storytelling power of ballet. The Red Shoes touched me because it spoke to the struggles of fighting to be a dancer, and when combined with the allure of the Ahmanson Theatre, as well as the scenery on stage, the show inspired me to continue working toward my dreams.