La Fille mal Gard

1
La Fille mal Gardée(The Badly Kept Girl/ The
Well-Guarded Daughter)

• Sir Frederick Ashton
• 1960

2
Frederick Ashton, the early years

• Born in Ecuador, on September 17th 1904
• Spent his early years in Peru
• It was while he was at school in Lima that he
  first saw Anna Pavlova, an event which changed
  his life he became determined to be a dancer
• His love for Pavlova remained a major influence
  on his choreography throughout his whole career
• His choreographic style is seen as lyrical,
  witty, consummately musical and often passionate
• Ashton came to England when he was 15, as a
  boarder at Dover College, and left school after
  three unhappy years
• He started ballet lessons with Leonide Massine
• When Massine moved away from London he sent
  Ashton to Marie Rambert
• It was Rambert's clever eye which saw the
  potential choroegrapher in the would-be dancer,
  and entrusted him with his first ballet, A
  Tragedy of Fashion, 1926
• He was already recognised by the 1930s as the
  first important choreographer to develop in the
  post-Diaghilev era in Britain

3
Frederick Ashton, the later years

• Ashton left Rambert for a year to dance with
  Bronislava Nijinska, another of the the major
  influences on his work
• When he returned he began choreographing
  regularly for Rambert
• At the same time he started making work for
  Ninette de Valois and the Vic-Wells ballet, and
  in 1935 he left Rambert and joined de Valois
  permanently
• His first major work for the Vic-Wells was the
  1933 Les Rendezvous, made for Alicia Markova
• When Markova left the company he focused his
  attention on her successor, a young girl called
  Margot Fonteyn
• Ashton's career was interrupted by war service,
  but he returned in triumph when the company moved
  to Covent Garden in 1946, making one of his
  greatest ballets, Symphonic Variations
• When de Valois retired in 1963 he became Director
  of the Royal Ballet, introducing to the
  repertoire some great works from outside
• He continued to make ballets for the company
  until a few years before his death the last
  major work was Rhapsody, made for Baryshnikov in
  1980
• He died at his Suffolk home on August 19th, 1988

4
Choreographic Style

• Frederick Ashton was a choreographer of ballets,
  in the post-Diaghilev era.
• Ashtons early works were popular due to the
  fusion of movement, music, and décor.
• For Ashton the figure of discipline in his early
  choreographies was Constant Lambert.
• After the war Ashton moved away from Lamberts
  significant influence, exemplified in his first
  post-war choreography, Symphonic Variations.
• Ashton is often thought of as frivolous and
  funny, but there is a much darker side to be
  perceived from his post-war choreographies.
• For Ashton ballet was an expression of emotions
  and ideas through dancing.
• Ashtons ballets are often perceived as
  narratives, however this structure often only
  acted as a superficial vehicle through which he
  could explore the human condition and dance.
• Scholars have noted Ashtons habit of reusing his
  own material.
• Ashtons signature move is the bouree which he
  uses in various ways.

5
La Fille mal Gardée

• Heres something to put a smile on your face.
  Frederick Ashtons eternally delightful La Fille
  mal gardée, a rustic comedy of abundant English
  charm... So much of what we love about Ashton is
  present here. The sparkling humour, the wealth of
  character, the bright happy dancing (spiced with
  plenty of technical brilliance), the tenderness
  of young love. Oh, and a rooster, a quartet of
  dancing chickens and the sweetest farm girls ever
  to grace the ballet stage. The Times Online
  Reviews, 2005

6
La Fille mal Gardée basic info

• A ballet
• A narrative
• Includes mime
• A love story
• A rework of an original
• A Great English classic
• Divided into two acts
• The 1828 Hérold score is adapted and arranged by
  John Lanchbery
• A lot of ribbon is involved!!!

7
La Fille mal Gardée - History

• When Frederick Ashton's La Fille mal Gardée was
  new, in 1960, Marie Rambert described it as 'the
  first great English classic'.
• In its original form, with choreography by
  Dauberval and music by an anonymous hand and it
  had its première in Bordeaux in 1789
• It has been revived in a dozen different forms
  since then. - Most importantly in Paris in 1828,
  with a new score by Herold- St Petersburg in
  1885, with music by Hertel and choreography by
  Petipa and (mostly) Ivanov - its touching mime
  scene is preserved in Ashton's ballet.- Pavlova
  had a version in her repertory, but by 1960 Fille
  was seen as a piece of faded history
• Ashton's decision to recreate it was greeted with
  surprise and some scepticism.

8
La Fille mal Gardée - Roles

• Fille was one of the first ballets about 'real'
  people, rather than gods or kingsand queens.
• Its hero and heroine are an ordinaryyoung
  couple, and its plot is a verysimple variation
  on 'boy meets girl- problems arise and are
  overcome - boy gets girl'.
• Ashton's version is saved from over-sweetness by
  the character of Alain, the heroine's childish,
  rather reluctant, but extremely rich suitor,
  whose rejection can seem almost tragic in the
  right hands.
• Lise's mother, Widow Simone, is seen as the
  comdeic character

9
An Outline of the Story Act I
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
An Outline of the Story Act II
13
(No Transcript)
14
Ashton Chronology

• Titles of works by Ashton are given in bold
  titles of works in which he choreographed
  sections or individual numbers (ballets by other
  choreographers, films, revues, etc) are enclosed
  in square brackets.Abbreviations M Music by S
  Scenery by C Costumes by D Danced byFP First
  performance NP New production R Reproduced byST
  Staging (indicates that the ballet was produced
  in substantially its original form)

• 1926
• Riverside NightsA Tragedy of Fashion or, The
  Scarlet Scissors
• 1927
• The Fairy QueenPas de deuxSuite de danses
  (Galanteries)Argentine Dance
• 1928
• Nymphs and ShepherdsLeda
• 1929
• Jew Süss

• 1930
• Capriol SuiteSaudade do BrésilMazurka des
  HussarsMarriage à la ModePomona'Follow Your
  Saint' The Passionate PavaneExcerpts from
  Comus, a Masque by John MiltonDances on a Scotch
  ThemeA Florentine Picture

15

• 1934
• Four Saints in Three ActsMephisto ValsePas de
  deux classiqueLove Is The Best DoctorJill
  Darling!Escape Me Never
• 1935
• Valentine's EveIn a Venetian TheatreThe Flying
  TrapezePerpetuum mobileRound About Regent
  StreetLe Baiser de la féeFollow the Sun
• 1936
• SiestaApparitionsThe Town TalksDie
  FledermausNocturneHome and Beauty

• 1931
• La PériThe Dance of the HoursCabaret
  françaisExcerpts from FaustFaçadeMercuryDa
  nce Pretty LadyRegattaThe Lady of ShalottA
  Day in a Southern PortThe Lord of Burleigh
• 1932
• PompetteThe Cat and the FiddleMagic
  NightsHigh YellowFoyer de danseA Kiss in
  SpringBallyhool
• 1933
• RondoLes Masques ou, Changement de damesHow
  D'You Do?Pavane pour un infante défunteAfter
  DarkGay HussarNursery MurmursLes
  Rendezvous

16

• 1946
• The Sleeping BeautySymphonic VariationsLes
  SirènesThe Fairy Queen
• 1947
• ManonAlbert HerringValses nobles et
  sentimentales
• 1948
• Scènes de balletLa TraviataDon
  JuanCinderella
• 1949
• Le Rêve de Léonor
• 1950
• Illuminations
• 1951
• Daphnis and ChloëThe Tales of
  HoffmannTiresiasCasse Noisette

• 1937
• Perpetuum mobileHarlequin in the StreetLes
  PatineursFirst ArabesqueBerceuseA Wedding
  Bouquet
• 1938
• HoroscopeThe Judgment of ParisRunning
  RiotTannhäuserHarlequin in the Street
• 1939
• Pas de deuxCupid and PsycheDevil's Holiday (Le
  Diable s'amuse)
• 1940
• Dante SonataThe Wise Virgins
• 1941
• The Wanderer
• 1943
• The Quest
• 1945
• A Midsummer Night's Dream

17

• 1952
• The Story of Three LovesPicnic at
  TintagelVision of MargueriteSylviaLe Lac des
  cygnes
• 1953
• OrpheusHomage to the Queen
• 1954
• Entrada de Madame Butterfly (Entry of Madame
  Butterfly)TrepakA Midsummer Night's Dream
• 1955
• Rinaldo and ArmidaVariations on a Theme by
  PurcellMadame ChrysanthèmeRomeo og Julie (Romeo
  and Juliet)
• 1956
• La PériBirthday OfferingThe Beloved
• 1957Solo Seal Variations
• 1958
• La ValseOrfeo ed EuridiceOndine
• 1959
• Scène d'amour from Raymonda

• 1960
• La Fille mal gardéeGiselle
• 1961
• Les deux pigeonsPoème tragiquePersephone
• 1962
• Pas de deux, Variations, and Coda from Raymonda
• 1963
• Marguerite and Armand
• 1964
• The Dream
• 1965
• Monotones
• 1966
• Monotones I and II
• 1967
• Sinfonietta
• 1968
• Jazz CalendarEnigma Variations (My Friends
  Pictured Within)

18

• 1977
• Hamlet PreludeTweedledum and TweedledeeDie
  Fledermaus
• 1978
• Orpheus and Eurydice Dance in the Elysian Fields
• 1979
• Salut d'amourStories from a Flying Trunk
• 1980
• RhapsodySoupirs
• 1981
• Le Rossignol
• 1983
• Varii capricci
• 1984
• Acte de présence
• 1985
• Die verwandelte Katze
• 1986
• Nursery Suite

• 1970
• Lament of the WavesDie Geschöpfe des Prometheus
  (The Creatures of Prometheus)Tales of Beatrix
  Potter
• 1971
• Meditation from Thaïsc.1830
• 1972
• SiestaThe Walk to the Paradise Garden
• 1973
• Death in VeniceWorld of Harlequin Tonight
  at 830
• 1974
• Fashion Show
• 1975
• Scène dansanteBrahms WaltzFloresta Amazónica
• 1976
• A Month in the CountryFive Brahms Waltzes in
  the manner of Isadora DuncanEtudeThe Turning
  Point

19
Useful Web Links

• http//www.ballet.co.uk/contexts/la_fille_mal_gard
  ee.htm
• http//entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,
  14936-1452321,00.html
• http//www.danceviewtimes.com/2005/Winter/04/fille
  .htm
• http//rutt.smugmug.com/gallery/1261785
• http//www.ballet.co.uk/ashton
• http//www.rambert.org.uk/about/people/detail_a.as
  p?art1217
• http//www.ashtonarchive.com/
• Vaughan, David. "Frederick Ashton and His
  Ballets" Alfred E. Knopf, 1976 2nd ed., London
  Dance Books, 1999