In Some Ways, The Best Coppelia On DVD!
J. M WILINSKY | teaneck, NJ United States | 04/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Fernando Bujones was one of the finest dancers of the late 20th century and to see him perform in this Coppelia is truly breathtaking! Swanilda is played by Ana Maria Castanon and she also dances fantastically. Her pirouettes and balances are awesome! Both dancers are given many solos and PDD's. The entire cast is fantastic. The group dances are danced with great spirit on a somewhat cramped stage. The camera work, unlike many recorded performances, is perfect. At times the viewer gets the feeling of standing right next to the dancer. There are some drawbacks to this dvd. It was recorded in 1980, so there is some tape hiss and the image quality is not perfect, but acceptable. This video has been around for quite a while on vhs but this transfer to dvd is most welcome and coincides with Bujones's untimely, recent death. The ballet communinty, as well as his friends and family miss him dearly. What a great remembrance this dvd is!"
A horror!
Robert Levonian | Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil | 01/03/2007
(1 out of 5 stars)
"I own several Coppélias on video. Up to now I though the version by Angelin Preliocaj with the Lyon Opera Ballet was the worst, but this one tops them all. I can't understand how could anybody consider this a good staging of this delightful score. Although Mr Bujones tries his best, the rest of the company can't even give a passable performance.
If you're interested in seeing Mr Bujones dance, try a documentary, with coreographies by Balanchine & Béjart."
Coppelia
Laurie P. Byrd | Jacksonville, Fl | 01/05/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"If you want to see the young Fernando Bujones at his best this is a good record. However, the company is definitely not at the standard of most professional companies. Fernando's variations are full of the tricks of male dancing and that in itself is worth watching as far as the rest of the produciton its just ok."