Choreographer Alice Topp has teamed up with the West Australian Ballet for her first full-length ballet Butterfly Effect and it’s a stunning storytelling experience that leaves you bursting with emotion.
Bold, provocative, stunningly romantic. It’s a new work that adds to the company’s cutting edge repertoire.
The story of a young woman caught between two worlds, pulled between responsibilities, love and motherhood and challenges with mental health, is an undeniable feminist work that allows for a much needed voice amongst the usual classic works.
When David McAllister, who has served as the WA Ballet’s guest artistic director for the last two years, was putting together the program for the company’s 2025 season he had an idea that he thought would be perfect for choreographer Alice Topp.
Topp began her choreographic journey while dancing with The Australian Ballet during McAllister’s long reign as artistic director, and she’s risen to become an in demand talent on the global stage flying between commissions in Germany, America and elsewhere.
When McAllister pitched his idea to Topp she told hm it “sounded really good”, but also asked if she could send him an alternative idea as well. She’d like to make a work inspired by Madame Butterfly.
When McAllister outlined the 2025 program to journalists late last year he shared his honest initial reaction to Topp’s idea.
“Oh my God, not another 19th century cultural appropriation nightmare.” he said.
Earlier in the year the WA Ballet staged La Bayadère: The Temple Dancer. A work that is often criticised for its depiction of eastern cultures, but is a staple of the repertoire of dance companies around the world.
The story of Madame Butterfly is best know as Puccini’s 1904 opera. The story of a Japanese teenager Cio-Cio-San, who marries a visiting American naval officer. For him its a marriage of convenience, and he later moves on and finds an American wife, which leaves his first bride heartbroken and suicidal.
The work was performed earlier this year by the WA Opera, and while it got rave reviews, the question of cultural appropriation hangs over the work.
Topp’s take on the story however breaks free of the concerns of inappropriate depictions of Japanese culture, and dated romances of the 19th century. For her work Butterfly Effect, Topp takes the elements of the story and rearranges them into a bold new configuration and injects them with 21st century values.
As soon as McAllister read Topp’s proposal he was onboard to bring the new work to the stage. Topp describes Madame Butterfly as a story that was no longer serving us in its original form. So she’s taken kearnels from that tale, teased them, deconstructed them, and created a new story for our times.
Set in regional Western Australia medic and part time army reservist Charlie (Alexa Tuzil) falls in love with local lad Jordan (Juan Carlos Osma).
In front of a giant gum tree with giant skies above them the couple dance is a style that exudes romance and love. They live an idyllic life with close friends Katie (Indiana Scott) and Ben (Heath Kolka). They dive, swirl and sweep across the stage.
We witness their wedding, friends gather dressed in shades of cream, beige and tan, like they’ve walked out of a feature from Vogue Living. The romanticism drips off them all as they celebrate the nuptials of the couple in perfect weather.
They begin a beautiful married life, and start a family with the arrival of a daughter. It couldn’t be anymore gorgeous. The romanticism is simply oozing across the stage.
But things suddenly change when Charlie decides to accept a post overseas in a war torn nation. We quickly go from great beauty and happiness to dark, foreboding and dangerous.
When the stage is overtaken by black clad soldiers, it’s powerful and slightly terrifying. The sweeping, flowing and cascading dance moves are replaces by sharp and razor fast choreography. Boots are stomped, and lines are formed.
Charlie is now in a foreign land, there’s danger, people are desperate and defeated. The tone has completely shifted.
When the darkly clad dancers don their caps, each fitted with a tiny light to illuminate their faces, it’s an arresting moment.
We are shown the juxtaposition of her role in war, and the family she left at home.
Her husband Jordan doing his best to raise their daughter alone. Scenes where he dances with the youngster, played on opening night by Clara Rimmer, are magical.
By creating a new story Topp has creates a tale where a women is in charge of her destiny, not a victim of cruel and heartless decisions by a more powerful man.
Yet she retains key elements of the story, elements of love, connection, family and mental health. While Charlie deals with estrangement from her daughter upon her return, and carries with her the dark days of conflict, our heroine survives and thrives.
A brilliant score has been created by composer Jessica Wells. Inspired by Max Richter’s reworking of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, she’s created a luscious score that makes use of motifs and melodies from Puccini’s famous work.
The combination of the original Madame Butterfly score, and new music written for this production is seamless. We want the album, please head to a studio to record it as soon as possible.
The opening night cast received rapturous applause when the curtain fell.
Not only is Butterfly Effect a masterful thought-provoking work, it’s also a sign of a company that’s not afraid to take risks and develop new works. This one will stand well alongside other pieces created for the company like Dracula.
Hopefully this is a sign of the rotation of Giselle, Swan Lake, Coppélia and La Sylphide is interrupted by more new works and challenging undertakings.
Our state ballet company is entering a bold new era with recently announced new artistic director Leanne Stojmenov waiting in the wings, and we can’t wait to see what’s next, but first we’ll be going to see Butterfly Effect again.
Butterfly Effect is playing at HIs Majesty’s Theatre in Perth until 20th September.
Images by Sergey Prevnev.
