Week of May 24-28, 2021

To Read
To Watch
To Do

The Dream Week

This week ABTKids Daily celebrates Frederick Ashton’s remarkable one-act ballet The Dream. It is based on William Shakespeare’s famous comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was originally written and performed around 1596.

While Ashton’s ballet was created in England for The Royal Ballet in 1964, it didn’t join ABT’s repertoire until 2002.  The production was staged by Sir Anthony Dowell, who originated the role of Oberon in the original 1964 production.

This week we will get to the BOTTOM of one of the most beloved ballets in ABT’s repertoire by speaking with Ethan Stiefel and Julio Bragado-Young, who are both featured in the PBS production Great Performances: Dance in America filming of the The Dream in 2003.

Meet A Dancer Monday

Former ABT Principal Dancer Ethan Stiefel

Teaching Artist Tuesday

Join one of ABT’s Teaching Artists as they introduce you to ABT and its ballets. Learn a dance, stop and sketch, and don’t forget to have fun!

Up this week: ABT Teaching Artist Adam Holms.

Bottom the Donkey

What’s up Wednesday 

The Dream Character Tree

Read the libretto of The Dream below, then use the clues to fill in the character tree worksheet.

The Dream at The Guggenheim

The Dream is one of ballet’s rare comic masterpieces.  While the ballet is filled with supernatural elements like fairies and a human transformed into a donkey, much of the comedy and heart of the ballet lies within the story of the four lovers:   Demetrius, Helena, Hermia and Lysander. 

Today we rewind to 2012 where ABT presented a medley of scenes featuring the four human lovers. The mischievous fairy Puck creates much confusion by accidentally charming the wrong man to love the wrong woman. Enjoy how masterfully Ashton tells the complicated story of these characters through dance, comedy and pantomime. 

This performance was presented in 2012 at Works and Process at The Guggenheim. 

Throwback Thursday

We pull a photo from our archives and share it with a member of the ABT family.  You never know what stories may come from a single snapshot!

Julio Bragado-Young
Former ABT Dancer, 1999-2013

It’s hard to believe it’s been 19 years since ABT’s premiere of Ashton’s The Dream. When I look at this picture, I think wait a minute, I don’t think that’s me playing the role of Bottom. It’s hard to say who is under that large, heavy donkey head, strapped tightly to our chins. The confusion is understandable but seeing this photo only brings back wonderful memories of being a part of one the most beautiful one-act ballets ever created. The Dream is a gem in the ballet repertoire, and I consider myself lucky I was ever a part of it.

My road to getting the opportunity to play Bottom had a lot of ups and downs, difficulties, and preparation unlike I had ever experienced. Six months prior to the start of rehearsals, all of the Bottom hopefuls had to begin pointe training. The great coach, Georgina Parkinson, stood at the front of our classes, cringing and gasping as so many of us tumbled and slipped in our new oversized and clunky pointe shoes. Lucky for us, the role of Bottom didn’t require the finesse a dancer gains over years of training and experience. Instead, we had to achieve a crude, heavy yet agile animalistic character trying to use our pointe shoes to mimic a donkey’s hooves. What ensued was horrendous toenail pains and an abundance of blisters. It was so unbearable, my process eventually became to mummify my feet: four layers of second skin on every toe, each individually wrapped in sports tape, followed by a paper towel, and topped with a gel pad called an ouch pouch. Yes, it was exaggerated, but it did the trick. In all honesty, it took a good half hour to prep my feet before shoving them into pointe shoes. This was only the start of the process.

Christopher Carr, one of London’s Royal Ballet’s foremost coaches, arrived and rehearsals would begin. All the Bottom’s fought hard for his approval, including me, a small-framed dancer who in Carr’s opinion was not adequate for the robust character. One day after rehearsal, we had an honest conversation where he informed me that I was not going to be given the chance to perform the ballet. I was heartbroken, but I wasn’t going to give up yet.

The day of the first general rehearsal arrived and Sir Anthony Dowell sat next to Kevin McKenzie with the rest of the artistic staff. The first cast to run the ballet had as its lead Alessandra Ferri whose Bottom was Isaac Stappas. They were brilliant! Then it was time for the next cast with Julie Kent as Titania – the dancer playing the role of Bottom was unable to attend the rehearsal. In a moment of luck, I caught eyes with Mr. Carr who signaled me to step in for the role. It felt like this was a time to go all out despite crippling nerves and fear: I had nothing to lose so I went for it. I had only the first fifteen minutes of the ballet to put my shoes on. I remember the wind in my face as I leaped on pointe. Then, the real test came with the pantomime solo when Bottom awakes as a human once again. It is a vulnerable, expressive and comically introverted solo recalling what may have been of strange dream about falling in love with a fairy. The room was packed with the entire company, but I only remember being alone… as if everyone had magically disappeared. I truly loved every second of that experience and in some ways, it rivals the elation of the actual performances. After the run was finished, Sir Dowell smiled and nodded in approval; he was not one to speak more than he needed to. A few days later, the show’s casting was posted on the board of the dancer’s lounge. I was shocked: for the first time, my name printed as a principal character.

Over the few seasons The Dream remained in ABT’s repertoire, the casts became interchangeable. I had the honor of being paired up with Alessandra Ferri, Julie Kent, Gillian Murphy, and Xiomara Reyes. So, when I look at that picture of Titania and Bottom, it really doesn’t matter who’s under that great big head, what matter are the sum of all the wonderful moments and memories that came from the process.

Funtime Friday

The Dream Mad Libs

Fill in the requested words and read your own version of The Dream libretto!