Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo brings the tale of 'Undine' to life

The tale of a water spirit who marries a human in order to gain a soul has taken many forms, from an old French folk tale to a German novella to “The Little Mermaid.”

The magical story is ideal subject matter for a ballet, so Theresa Slobodnik, artistic director of Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo, decided to create her own full-length version. While researching the story, she found her inspiration in the 1811 novella “Undine” by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque.

“I love literature and storytelling,” Slobodnik said. “When I read the novella, I knew immediately. It was so sweet, delicious and colorful. It’s been a lot of work and research, but if it’s right, it’s right. I absolutely love it.”

Once she had selected the story, she looked for music to go with her choreography. After listening to different composers, she selected the music of Ottorino Respghi to compile her score.

“The voice of his music has an ethereal, storytelling feel. It’s very magical.”

She arranged his compositions and used recordings from several orchestras to put it all together. There have been other ballet versions of the story, but this one is original, and the performance is a world premiere.

“Undine” is the story of a water spirit who is switched at a young age with the daughter of a fisherman and his wife. Their own daughter, Bertalda, is snatched away from their remote cabin by the water spirit’s uncle and taken to the city, where she is adopted by a duke and duchess. The girls’ paths cross 15 years later when they both fall in love with the knight Huldbrand. There are great adventures throughout the tale, with wolves, goblins and apparitions appearing. There is a dark forest, an evil villain, an array of servants, nobles, sailors, and undines (water spirits).

Because there are no spoken words, the dancers must be excellent actors as well as fine dancers as they tell the colorful story.

“In the theater a gesture can carry more weight than a monologue,” the director said. “It’s not mime, but the language of our entire bodies, from the center of our souls.”

The 40 dancers don’t just portray the people in the tale, but also provide their own special effects. Their dancing brings life to storms, flowing streams and waterfalls. Most of the imagery comes from the choreography, Slobodnik explained.

The director said she knew exactly who would dance Undine. She selected Michelle McLaughlin, who is dancing her final major program for Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo, as she will be attending UCSB in the fall. She has grown up dancing with the company, Slobodnik said.

“Her growth and accomplishments as a consummate dance artist perfectly illustrate why I do what I do.”

James Van Lommel will be Knight Huldbrand. He has been dancing for more than 10 years, specializing in salsa, blues and swing. This is his sixth year dancing ballet, and he has been in all Ballet Theatre productions during those years.

The role of Bertalda, the fisherman’s daughter, will be danced by Raquel Estrella, a junior at San Luis Obispo High school who has studied ballet with Slobodnik since age 9.

Asael Picasso, who has performed with dance groups around the Central Coast and has been with the company for six years, will portray the villain water spirit Kuhleborn. Blair London, the company’s assistant director, plays the fisherman, and Ana Allen dances the role of his wife.

The cast of 40 includes the company’s 20 members, as well as other dancers from the community. Slobodnik’s great niece, 7-year-old Devinne Barnett, plays the young Undine, and Eden Lerner is the young Bertalda. When Slobodnik was a child, her older sister danced in a version of “Undine,” sprayed with silver paint.

“I guess painting a child like that might be illegal today,” she noted.

The array of costumes, from sprites to knights, was designed by Kimberly Eaton and Nancy Hopkins. Lighting is by Nathan Deak and sets by John Slobodnik.

In addition to regular performances, “Undine” will be presented in a special youth outreach program, and the director said it will be interesting for sponsors and underwriters to see how children react to live theater, especially in a production without words. The fairy tale magic of “Undine” is designed for all ages.

This story was originally published April 19, 2012 at 5:21 AM with the headline "Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo brings the tale of 'Undine' to life."