Royal Ballet first artist Amelia Townsend steps into some percussive new sneakers this month because the tap-dancing Mad Hatter in Christopher Wheeldon’s fantastical Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, carried out by The Royal Ballet from June 13–28.
Whereas Townsend isn’t the primary girl to bounce the function of the Mad Hatter—that distinction goes to the Nationwide Ballet of Canada’s Chelsy Meiss—it’s nonetheless sometimes thought of a person’s function.
“I believe it is a prime instance of a job that may be performed by each sexes,” Townsend says. “It’s a pleasant second for folks to appreciate that roles don’t essentially need to be gender-specific. It’s about your interpretation. I hope there’s extra of this sooner or later.”
Pointe spoke with Townsend about reworking into Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’s most uncommon tea-party host.
How did this casting come about?
I carried out walk-on roles in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland after I was in my third 12 months on the Royal Ballet College, and even then, I used to be so mesmerized watching the Mad Hatter. There was a part of me that knew I beloved tapping and checked out that function like, “Wouldn’t that be so enjoyable to do? However clearly I’ll by no means be capable of do it, as a result of it’s a person’s function.”
I used to be struggling a bit with an harm and dancing on pointe at first of this season, and I used to be having a dialog with [artistic director Kevin O’Hare] about Alice. I made a pass-by remark that I can faucet, and it snowballed into what it’s turn out to be now. He was actually on board with making this occur, and I’m actually grateful that he gave me this chance.
Did you ever think about your self faucet dancing with The Royal Ballet?
For those who had informed me I’d be doing this years in the past, I by no means would have believed you, ever. I nonetheless can’t fairly consider I’ve been tapping onstage with The Royal Ballet. It seems like a dream, to be sincere.
I haven’t tapped for, I believe, over 13 years. There’s some very scary footage of me doing a faucet solo at a number of competitions. So I needed to scrub up on my method a bit. I took a number of lessons at Pineapple Dance Studios and did quite a lot of self-practice to arrange for this function. I believe it’s a kind of issues like driving a bicycle, the place when you be taught you all the time know how one can do it.
How did studying the Mad Hatter differ from studying ballet repertory?
Once I was strolling to work, I might hearken to the video of the choreography many times to be taught the rhythm. It’s not like while you’re making an attempt to be taught ballet rep and also you’re analyzing the video considering “Okay, it’s a chassé right into a piqué arabesque.” Tapping is a lot extra concerning the rhythm and the way it suits with the music.
What’s the transformation when it comes to hair, costume, and make-up like?
It’s a prolonged course of. My first look is in Act I, and that hair and make-up will not be too loopy. However from the second I get offstage, I’m going straight to the make-up room and sit within the chair for about 45 minutes.
Then I get modified, which takes some time as a result of I’ve a microphone pack round my waist and have to string two wires down my pant legs. Then we’ve to do a sound test the place I do a pair faucet steps after which it’s actually time for the tea social gathering, so there’s actually not a lot respiration room.
Within the firm right here, in the event you’re not doing a principal function, all of us do our personal make-up and hair. For those who’re doing a principal function, you get it performed for you. So it’s been quite a lot of enjoyable to get that therapy.
How did you method the performing aspect of the Mad Hatter?
That was most likely one of many largest challenges about doing this function. I used to be watching quite a lot of movies of the totally different casts, nevertheless it wouldn’t have felt real if I used to be simply making an attempt to repeat what they had been doing. I knew I needed to make this my very own function.
On the first rehearsals, I used to be so hyper-focused on the tapping that including the character on prime was the very last thing I used to be interested by. However at a sure level, I needed to belief myself that I knew the steps and actually simply deal with bringing that character to life. As soon as I received onstage, with the entire wig, hair, and make-up performed, it was really easy to seek out the function. I’ve loved creating it every present.
For those who may carry out another function, which might you select?
Positively the Crimson Queen. I’ve watched this ballet so many instances and each time I watch the Crimson Queen do the Tart Adage, I’m nonetheless laughing in some way.
