Photo by Carol Pratt
The Staging The magic of Wonderland is achieved through Bob Crowley’s set design and video projections by Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington. Watch for: n the
fall down the rabbit hole, expanding and shrinking doors, and a tilted room that traps Alice—all created through video projection.
n the
puppet Alice, which dangles from the ceiling and then becomes the real Alice on stage.
n the
dress worn by the Queen of Hearts which opens like a cabinet, containing the weary King inside.
Michael M. Kaiser President Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education
Performance Guide
David M. Rubenstein Chairman
Cuesheet
Sonia Rodriguez in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Photo by Bruce Zinger.
The National Ballet of Canada
Working R e h earsal
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Kennedy Center’s Ballet Season is presented with the support of Elizabeth and Michael Kojaian. International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.
Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon Music by Joby Talbot Designed by Bob Crowley
Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided in part by Adobe Foundation; The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Macy*s Foundation; The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; the Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; U.S. Department of Education; Washington Gas; and by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund, and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Major support for the Kennedy Center’s educational programs is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.
About the Company The National Ballet of Canada was established in 1951 in Canada and now tours all over the world. The company employs 70 dancers and has their own orchestra. They stage classic ballets, as well as new works like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Cuesheets are produced by ArtsEdge, an education program of the Kennedy Center.
Ballet Interactive Can’t get enough Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? Want more on ballet? Check out KC Connections on ARTSEDGE: http://artsedge. kennedy-center.org/students/kc-connections
© 2013 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge
Learn more about Education at The Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!
Aleksandar Antonijevic and Jillian Vanstone in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.
Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by
Sonia Rodriguez and Keiichi Hirano in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Photo by Bruce Zinger.
Through the Looking Glass: Examining Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland The Story Act I: England, 1862 At the Liddell family’s garden party, Jack, the gardener’s son, gives Alice Liddell a rose, and in return, she offers him a jam tart. Alice’s mother thinks Jack has stolen the tart and fires him. Meanwhile, a family friend named Lewis Carroll ducks under a camera cloth to take Alice’s picture and comes out as the White Rabbit. Alice chases him, falling down into Wonderland. Alice wants to visit the garden she views through a keyhole. She finds Jack, who has turned into the Knave of Hearts. He runs away, fleeing the Queen of Hearts who has accused him of stealing. During Alice’s search for the Knave she meets many unusual characters.
Act II
Collaborate and Create
Lost, Alice asks the Cheshire Cat for directions. The White Rabbit prepares for the Queen’s croquet game. On her way to the game to find the Knave, Alice meets the Mad Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse having tea. Later, Alice eats a mushroom and is able to enter the garden. She finds the Knave and they dance happily until the Queen appears.
Four separate artists collaborated to create this ballet. Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon planned the dance steps. Composer Joby Talbot wrote the music, and Bob Crowley designed the look of the sets and the magical effects in Wonderland. And playwright Nicholas Wright turned Lewis Carroll’s story, written in 1865, from page to stage. How did they do it? Read on!
Act III After showing off her dancing skills, the Queen plays croquet against the Dutchess. The Dutchess scores more points, angering the Queen. Alice and the Knave reunite, but he is forced to stand trial for theft. The witnesses find him guilty, but Alice defends him by taking the blame. The Queen chases Alice and the Knave, but a captured Knave isn’t in the cards!
Piotr Stanczyk, Kevin D. Bowles, Tanya Howard and Heather Ogden in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Photo by Bruce Zinger.
The Music The composer chose instruments to represent different characters in Alice. Listen for: n the
celesta, a piano-like instrument with a high, metallic sound, for the White Rabbit.
n the
oboe for the Caterpillar.
The Movement Christopher Wheeldon developed specific movements for each character. Watch for: n White
Rabbit’s fidgety and twitchy animal-like movements.
n the
Queen, who shows sophistication and poise, but also bursts out in anger, losing control.
n the
youthful energy of a 15-yearold Alice, who is temperamental at times with angry kicks and jumps of frustration. In Act III, she shows increasing maturity in her pas de deux, or duet, with the Knave in sweeping, off-balance moments that reflect their blossoming love.
n a
solo violin, tuned a bit sharp, when the Queen of Hearts appears.
Alice’s changing moods are also indicated through music. You’ll hear a recurring musical theme whenever Alice is feeling lonely, as well as a love theme when she unites with the Knave. n
how the Cheshire Cat has body parts that can come apart and re-assemble as puppeteers (dressed in black) create his movements.
Sonia Rodriguez and Keiichi Hirano in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Photo by Bruce Zinger.
Through the Looking Glass: Examining Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland The Story Act I: England, 1862 At the Liddell family’s garden party, Jack, the gardener’s son, gives Alice Liddell a rose, and in return, she offers him a jam tart. Alice’s mother thinks Jack has stolen the tart and fires him. Meanwhile, a family friend named Lewis Carroll ducks under a camera cloth to take Alice’s picture and comes out as the White Rabbit. Alice chases him, falling down into Wonderland. Alice wants to visit the garden she views through a keyhole. She finds Jack, who has turned into the Knave of Hearts. He runs away, fleeing the Queen of Hearts who has accused him of stealing. During Alice’s search for the Knave she meets many unusual characters.
Act II
Collaborate and Create
Lost, Alice asks the Cheshire Cat for directions. The White Rabbit prepares for the Queen’s croquet game. On her way to the game to find the Knave, Alice meets the Mad Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse having tea. Later, Alice eats a mushroom and is able to enter the garden. She finds the Knave and they dance happily until the Queen appears.
Four separate artists collaborated to create this ballet. Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon planned the dance steps. Composer Joby Talbot wrote the music, and Bob Crowley designed the look of the sets and the magical effects in Wonderland. And playwright Nicholas Wright turned Lewis Carroll’s story, written in 1865, from page to stage. How did they do it? Read on!
Act III After showing off her dancing skills, the Queen plays croquet against the Dutchess. The Dutchess scores more points, angering the Queen. Alice and the Knave reunite, but he is forced to stand trial for theft. The witnesses find him guilty, but Alice defends him by taking the blame. The Queen chases Alice and the Knave, but a captured Knave isn’t in the cards!
Piotr Stanczyk, Kevin D. Bowles, Tanya Howard and Heather Ogden in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Photo by Bruce Zinger.
The Music The composer chose instruments to represent different characters in Alice. Listen for: n the
celesta, a piano-like instrument with a high, metallic sound, for the White Rabbit.
n the
oboe for the Caterpillar.
The Movement Christopher Wheeldon developed specific movements for each character. Watch for: n White
Rabbit’s fidgety and twitchy animal-like movements.
n the
Queen, who shows sophistication and poise, but also bursts out in anger, losing control.
n the
youthful energy of a 15-yearold Alice, who is temperamental at times with angry kicks and jumps of frustration. In Act III, she shows increasing maturity in her pas de deux, or duet, with the Knave in sweeping, off-balance moments that reflect their blossoming love.
n a
solo violin, tuned a bit sharp, when the Queen of Hearts appears.
Alice’s changing moods are also indicated through music. You’ll hear a recurring musical theme whenever Alice is feeling lonely, as well as a love theme when she unites with the Knave. n
how the Cheshire Cat has body parts that can come apart and re-assemble as puppeteers (dressed in black) create his movements.
Photo by Carol Pratt
The Staging The magic of Wonderland is achieved through Bob Crowley’s set design and video projections by Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington. Watch for: n the
fall down the rabbit hole, expanding and shrinking doors, and a tilted room that traps Alice—all created through video projection.
n the
puppet Alice, which dangles from the ceiling and then becomes the real Alice on stage.
n the
dress worn by the Queen of Hearts which opens like a cabinet, containing the weary King inside.
Michael M. Kaiser President Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education
Performance Guide
David M. Rubenstein Chairman
Cuesheet
Sonia Rodriguez in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Photo by Bruce Zinger.
The National Ballet of Canada
Working R e h earsal
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Kennedy Center’s Ballet Season is presented with the support of Elizabeth and Michael Kojaian. International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.
Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon Music by Joby Talbot Designed by Bob Crowley
Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided in part by Adobe Foundation; The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Macy*s Foundation; The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; the Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; U.S. Department of Education; Washington Gas; and by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund, and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Major support for the Kennedy Center’s educational programs is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.
About the Company The National Ballet of Canada was established in 1951 in Canada and now tours all over the world. The company employs 70 dancers and has their own orchestra. They stage classic ballets, as well as new works like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Cuesheets are produced by ArtsEdge, an education program of the Kennedy Center.
Ballet Interactive Can’t get enough Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? Want more on ballet? Check out KC Connections on ARTSEDGE: http://artsedge. kennedy-center.org/students/kc-connections
© 2013 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge
Learn more about Education at The Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!
Aleksandar Antonijevic and Jillian Vanstone in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.
Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by