Mary Jessie Floor

November 15, 2016

A story of love and betrayal, exotic, and theatrical, these are just some of the words to
describe Madame Butterfly. The prestigious Utah ballet company, Ballet West, rejuvenated the
ballet for its 53rd season and brought it back since it was first performed in 2009. Adam Sklute, the
artistic director of Ballet West, alongside artistic director and choreographer of Houston Ballet,
Stanton Welch, together crafted a seamless ballet full of passion and beauty. The story of Madame
Butterfly was first created by the American writer, John Luther Long 118 years ago, and was
originally performed as an opera. The heartbreaking story tells the tale of a young 15 year old
geisha named Cio-Cio (Madame Butterfly) who marries Lieutenant Pinkerton, a U.S. Naval
officer. One day he departs and returns back to America leaving her to raise their son he did not
know would exist. Three years later, he returns with his new American wife and they take
Butterfly's son back with them to America. All alone, she is devastated and can no longer bare the
pain, thus, she lifts up her father's sword and ends her life.
Because Madame Butterfly's character is so emotionally complex, it's a demanding role,
being suitable for a principal dancer. Principal artist Arolyn Williams portrayed Butterfly
superlatively. You could feel her sadness and desperation for love so much that it would send
chills down your spine. Along with her excellent acting, Arolyn had the foundation of flawless
technique so that her body could dance energetically and achieve the level of difficulty the

choreography demanded. The choreography was interesting and exciting; it incorporated modern
movements and folk dancing as well. The Japanese style of movement and traditional dancing was
accomplished graciuously and maintained the Japanese influence in the Madame Butterfly story.
The Japanese movements were translated by the hands and upper body whereas the lower body
had to remain still and tranquil. This technique created elegant and graceful movement.
The pas de deux that was performed in the first act between principal dancer, Rex Tilton
who played Pinkerton, and Arolyn was incredible. Just before this moment, Butterflys uncle, The
Bonze, played by soloist Tyler Gum, disrupts the wedding celebration and denounces her as his
niece. The Bonze character was terrifying and terrifically enacted that his role would be compared
to Von Rothbart in Swan Lake. The Bonze rejects her from the family because Butterfly became a
Christian so that she could share the same religion as her new husband. Butterfly has truly
sacrificed everything for Pinkerton and has been neglected by her family for her choice. Pinkerton
consoles his new wife in this scene and feels her sorrow. He also realizes he loves her because she
has proved he is the only man she loves. The pas de deux had many difficult movements imbedded
in it that would take your breath away and two artists perfectly executed their role of lovers. In an
interview of Adam Sklutes perspective on the pas de deux, he said that it was ...the hardest pas de
deux that I have ever worked with in terms of its requirements for technique and
partnering(Sklute, In Focus: Madame Butterfly, 2016).
The costuming was elaborate, authentic, and gorgeous. The amount of detail in each piece
was inconceivable and emphasized each character well. Along with the costumes designed by
Director of Costume Production, David Heuvel, the lighting and stage set up was impressive. The
stage scenery was simplistic and its colors were neutral so that the dancers could be the emphasis
on the stage. The scenery also expressed the sadness of the Madame Butterfly story with the

Japanese cherry blossom leaves that slowly cascaded down like snowflakes from up above just
before Butterfly ends her life. The subtle background of a misty outcast river also served the
dancers and story line well.
The entire cast of the Madame Butterfly production brought the story to life. Without each
individual's part in the ballet, the beauty and excitement of it all would have diminished. Each
dancer was very articulate with their movement and highly energetic. There were several scenes in
the ballet in which absolute precision of the dancers was required. The beautiful geishas had to be
in complete sync with each other with the movement of their fans. Because of their coordination
and synchronization with one another, the effect they were able to produce was mesmerizing and
looked like a beautiful moving painting. In the third and final act, there was a highly coordinated
duet between Butterfly and her personal maid, Suzuki, played by soloist Katie Critchlow. They
both danced with their fans behind their individual paper screens that were effortlessly wheeled on
the stage. Only their shadows were shown as if they were dancing behind the screen with only
candlelight shining on them during the dark night. At this moment, they are both praying that when
Pinkerton finally returns in the morning, he will accept Butterfly and their son, taking them both
back to his home in America. It is a wonderful thing to see such dedicated artists and their passion
light up on the stage.
Madame Butterfly was a performance that never once had a dull moment. It continually
kept the audience excited as well as made them feel heartbroken just like Butterfly did. The
Madame Butterfly ballet proved that possibilities in the world of ballet are limitless and even the
challenge of turning an opera into a ballet looked like something of very little effort.

Reflective Writing
1. What have you learned about lifetime wellness from participating in this dance class?
Dance has not only been a form of exercise in my life for many years but it has also been
my passion and motivation. After participating in this dance class, I have a deeper appreciation
for dance and its benefits emotionally and spiritually. Dance is the only thing in this world that
makes me feel genuinely happy. It is something I would like to continue doing for the rest of
my life. Lifetime wellness to me not only means fitness and health but enjoyment and
discovering something anyone can do even though they never thought it were possible for
them before. I believe anyone and everyone should dance if they want to; it should be limitless.
Dance is incredible because it is the only thing in which we can express ourselves without ever
saying a word.
2. What did you learn about the communicative potential (feeling or meaning) of dance by
viewing a live performance?
Watching a live dance performance always fills me with excitement. Dance is a beautiful
thing to watch because it is unexpected. Artists are able to tell stories with their movements
and provoke emotion in their audience. It is incredible how they can make us feel happy, sad,
or angry. Live performances are an opportunity for the audience to connect with the artist and it
is also an opportunity to feel emotions never felt before.