By Sarah Skubala
Queensland Ballet has a triumph on its hands with the Australian premiere of Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon selling out its entire season ahead of opening night. A new, full-length narrative ballet, Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon is a co-production with Hong Kong Ballet and Atlanta Ballet which was first performed in Hong Kong last year.
Described as a ‘biopic on pointe shoes’ by Belgian-Colombian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, this statement couldn’t be more on point. It’s a work that delves into the creativity, immorality and dark opportunism of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s complex life from orphan to fashion icon. With artistic collaboration by Nancy Meckler, all the creative elements fused in such a way that I felt like I was watching a silent film played out live on stage. The original score, by Peter Salem, was so effective that at times I glanced into the pit to try to figure out which instrument was featured (it sounded like a melancholic, vintage piano but I could also see the harp at work). It was no surprise to learn that Salem’s scores also extend to film and television, and praise must be given to Camerata, Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra and conductor Nigel Gaynor for bringing this music to life so memorably. I eagerly await a time when the score is available online.
My fellow reviewers and I were seated in the balcony section which was a genius move as we had the best overview of this visual spectacle. Sets and costumes, by Paris-based designer Jérôme Kaplan, were chic, sleek and minimalist, with a baseline palette of signature Chanel black and white, as reflected in the wardrobe choices by many in the opening night audience. A predominant feature of the set was two curved, luscious cream-coloured staircases, punctuated by a black banister with strip lighting underneath. The stairs stylishly parted and joined back together as the ballet progressed, symbolising pivotal moments in Chanel’s life.
Ochoa’s choreography played with symmetry and was a thrill to watch, and the Queensland Ballet company’s dancing was the best I’ve seen all year. Dancers Georgia Swan and Edison Manuel personified the iconic Chanel logo (consisting of a pair of mirror-imaged letter Cs) in a mesmerising pas de deux which saw their bodies entwine and intersect. The pair wore white unitards with a black stripe stretching all the way down the side of their bodies and across their ballet shoes.
In the title role was Neneka Yoshida, and it was hard to watch anyone else when she was on stage. She was shadowed by Kaho Kato, playing a version of her future self aptly named Shadow Chanel, who acted as a guide throughout the ballet as her younger counterpart ascended from rags to riches. Kato cut a gorgeous figure decked out in sleek black with multiple strings of pearls and her presence on stage was magnetic. I especially adored the stylistic choice to have both Chanel characters consistently holding a cigarette (and sometimes a cigar!) in the air which they’d intermittently put to their lips. They would even occasionally tap the ‘ash’ off the cigarette, a cheeky touch I loved. Yoshida’s character evolved over the course of the piece until she embodied her shadow self, the pair ending in identical Chanel pantsuits, one in black and one in white.
There were so many choreographic highlights, but a standout in Act One was the dance with the factory seamstresses and their worktables, a visually stunning segment. Patricio Revé perfectly embodied the love of Chanel’s life, Arthur Edward ‘Boy’ Capel, and together with Yoshida they danced a beautiful pas de deux. Chanel’s association with the Nazis was handled very tastefully in Act Two and I appreciated the choice to use mannequins to portray the soldiers.
The ballet culminated in a fashion show of sorts featuring members of the company in a range of stunning, Chanel-inspired designs. Chanel’s fashion legacies include the jersey suit, the little black dress, and her signature perfume Chanel No 5. She remains a pivotal figure in the evolution of women’s fashion which saw the removal of corsets in favour of more free-flowing clothing influenced by sailors and sporting culture.
Given the runaway success of Queensland Ballet’s latest production, it’s clear audiences can’t get enough of ground-breaking new work that sees the worlds of fashion and dance collide. The future looks exciting ahead of their 2025 season announcement.
Photo credit: David Kelly