| presented by Caston Chamber Ballet and Students of Castons Ballet Academie |
The Ballet is set in an enchanted toyshop in southern France in the late 1800's. Beautiful dolls from
different cultures entertain customers who travel from England and America to see the magic unfold.
The dances include: SPANISH, ITALIAN TARENTELLA, an AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN MAZURKA, a
RUSSIAN COSSACK DANCE, a WALTZ, a CAN-CAN, and a GALLOP. Trouble erupts when the
customers and their children want to split up the prized Can Can dolls. The American Family wants the
boy doll, and the English family wants the girl doll. After the people leave the dolls resume their secret
lives and decide to save the Can Can dolls from being split up, they unlock their box and let the Can
Can dolls out so that they can escape and be together forever. When the people come back to the
toyshop the next day to pick up their toys they discover that they are gone they are upset and attack
the dolls and the shopkeeper, the dolls come to the shopkeeper’s rescue and the irate customers are
finally driven away by the toy soldiers as the shopkeeper and the dolls in a triumphant dance finale.
“La Boutique Fantasque” (The Fantastic Toyshop) was first presented in London in 1919 by the
internationally famous Ballets Russes. The ballet was choreographed by Leonide Massine and
arranged and orchestrated by Respighi to the classic Rossini score, filled with familiar melodies. The
Rossini-Respighi ballet La Boutique Fantastique (The Fantastic Toyshop) was done at the behest of
the Ballets Russes impresario Serge Diahgilev and its composition was as much his creation as
Repighi's. Diaghilev made the selections of works to be included, their order, cuts in the music and
generally shaped the entire ballet. The story was based on a Viennese ballet of 1888 by Joseph Bayer
titled Die Puppenfee (The Fairy Doll).
The scenario and choreography for La Boutique fantasque were by Leonide Massine who also danced
one of the principal roles, and the decor and costumes were the creation of Andre Derain. The first
performance was given by the Ballets Russes on 5 June 1919 at the Alhambra Theatre, London.
Enricho Cecchetti original shopkeeper, Lydia Lopokova and Leonide Massine as the Can Can Dolls.
Setting based on Talouse Loutrec
different cultures entertain customers who travel from England and America to see the magic unfold.
The dances include: SPANISH, ITALIAN TARENTELLA, an AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN MAZURKA, a
RUSSIAN COSSACK DANCE, a WALTZ, a CAN-CAN, and a GALLOP. Trouble erupts when the
customers and their children want to split up the prized Can Can dolls. The American Family wants the
boy doll, and the English family wants the girl doll. After the people leave the dolls resume their secret
lives and decide to save the Can Can dolls from being split up, they unlock their box and let the Can
Can dolls out so that they can escape and be together forever. When the people come back to the
toyshop the next day to pick up their toys they discover that they are gone they are upset and attack
the dolls and the shopkeeper, the dolls come to the shopkeeper’s rescue and the irate customers are
finally driven away by the toy soldiers as the shopkeeper and the dolls in a triumphant dance finale.
“La Boutique Fantasque” (The Fantastic Toyshop) was first presented in London in 1919 by the
internationally famous Ballets Russes. The ballet was choreographed by Leonide Massine and
arranged and orchestrated by Respighi to the classic Rossini score, filled with familiar melodies. The
Rossini-Respighi ballet La Boutique Fantastique (The Fantastic Toyshop) was done at the behest of
the Ballets Russes impresario Serge Diahgilev and its composition was as much his creation as
Repighi's. Diaghilev made the selections of works to be included, their order, cuts in the music and
generally shaped the entire ballet. The story was based on a Viennese ballet of 1888 by Joseph Bayer
titled Die Puppenfee (The Fairy Doll).
The scenario and choreography for La Boutique fantasque were by Leonide Massine who also danced
one of the principal roles, and the decor and costumes were the creation of Andre Derain. The first
performance was given by the Ballets Russes on 5 June 1919 at the Alhambra Theatre, London.
Enricho Cecchetti original shopkeeper, Lydia Lopokova and Leonide Massine as the Can Can Dolls.
Setting based on Talouse Loutrec
| Choreography: Leonide Massine 1919 Ballet Russes Jeanne Engel Metropolitan Ballet of St. Louis, Torris Caston Caston (Yulia Miller - Mazurka and Tarentella) Chamber Ballet Premiere 2007 Music: Rossini-Respighi Narration: Torris Caston Costumes: Metropolitian Ballet of St. Louis, Shannon Caston, Arlene Laverty, Jane Peterson, and Leslie Williams Backdrop: Charles H. Stewart |
| LA BOUTIQUE FANTASTIQUE |
| Austro-Hungarian Mazurka Dolls |
Italian Tarentella Doll
| Ballerina Doll |
| Spanish Doll |
French Can Can Dolls
| Harlequin Dolls |
| Soldier Dolls |