When glitz and glam supersede creativity

Pinocchio, the classic story about a boy who told lies, has been entertaining children and adults alike since its creation in 1883.

Originally written by CarloCollodi, the fairytale brings to life an animated puppet who, in the hope of becoming a real boy, sets off on a series of mischievous adventures.

The desiring success to translate this story into dance is what artistic director Theresa Lungaro-Mifsud sought to pursue in ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’, for The Dance Workshop’s annual production.

Audacious and determined,Lungaro-Mifsud’s choice of presenting a single ballet across a large school is laudable. Her artistic vision, however, was not always perfectly pitched, resulting in having too much or too little on stage.

Merging classical ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop and Spanish dance throughout is enough to showcase talent and creativity. So why incorporate singing?

As the show opened, I questioned whether a ballet or a musical was on display when two vocalists entered singing C’era una volta, the opening to the recently launched Italian musical.

A bit too ostentatious perhaps, for the ballet dancing alone of TheForest would have been adequate to flaunt the purpose of this dance production. In principle, the inclusion of Stravinsky’s finale music from his Firebird ballet suite was also confusing, seeing that this music was specifically written for The Firebird.

This is not to say that one may not take liberty in choosing appropriate music for dance, but a ‘cut and paste’ option from a ballet which should be well-known, is merely an easy way out.

That said, this 11-scene version of the tale – although lacking a growing nose for most of it – did contain a dash of humour and enchantment.

The short-lived appearance of ‘magic’, those beaming tiny tots led by the whimsical Jade Farrugia as the Blue Fairy, was charming. Carefully poised, Farrugia danced the role with conviction. Her brisk, neat turns and lively presence are among her strongest traits.

While the senior department reigned with some festive choreographies, the junior dancedepartment occasionally lacked inventiveness.

The School Children in Scene 4 dancing jazz generated rhythmic excitement and an ever-present energy, but they outweighed some of the assistants to Gepetto in Scene 2. Here, one hoped for more than a mere mimicking of a hammer strike throughout most of their presence on stage as ballet dancers.

The foolhardy Pinocchio, danced by Christina Aquilina, proved buoyant and energetic but her dance vocabulary was rather limited, leaving little room for character development.

Suffice it to say that the abrupt shifting of scenes and music did not do Pinocchio’s role any justice and the storyline was not always easy to latch onto. Fortunately, however, Aquilina delivered all she was given to her maximum ability. Her assured technique and intuitive presence worked in favour as she articulated the angular and flexible moves of a puppet convincingly.

The swift presence of Miss Cat, played by Francesca Bartolo, was unusually entertaining. Although not originally provocative as a character, Miss Cat expressed a sensuality which subtly underscored the mischief of Pinocchio. But her appearance in the theatre scene was not the only one of its kind.

Here, the set and mind-blowing burlesque costumes transformed the stage into a glamorous vaudeville theatre. Full of extravagance and travesty , the senior dancers captivated a show-stopping ensemble number thanks to Jes Sciberras who played the double role of The Showman and choreographer.

The bar was raised further when a group of suspended Marionettes offered some fabulous footwork on pointe which was eye-catching, original and praiseworthy. It was Rachel Grech’s artistic number, however, which was the highlight of the evening.

Dressed up in Carabinieri costumes, the super synchronised five dancers exhibited a brisk and authentic performance in which the interaction with Pinocchio came alive at its best.

Equally effective were the Rascals who grew donkey ears in the Land of Toys, a scene developed and choreographed by Francesca Abela Tranter. The ability to adapt a concept, put it in context and translate it into an idiosyncratic style is what Abela Tranter never fails to achieve.

But for some dances, it was the magnificent costumes that took centre stage. With some 20 dancers moving in sea-blue tailskirts, the Sea Creatures dance lacked the flamenco energy it required and only had Tomatito’s gypsy guitar music to support its actual style.

The Dance Workshop awarded the annual scholarships as follows: Junior Associate: Sara Xuereb (Modern Dance), Amy Mifsud and Nicola Micallef (Classical Ballet); Spanish Dance Award: Joy Grech Fleri-Soler; Martha Graham Award (Modern and Contemporary Caroline Briffa; Margot Fonteyn Award (Classical Nadine Friggieri and Corinna Marie Abela; Simon Lungaro-Mifsud Award: Michela Scicluna.