When the ballet La Fille Mal Gardée is mentioned outside of the ballet world, most people will tell you they’ve never heard of it. They know Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and even Giselle, but this particular ballet, one of the earliest created, is not as widely known. However, it is a feast for the eyes with its sets, costumes, and props, and it is a comedic ballet that gives the audience a non-formal experience at the ballet. The first known performance of “La Fille” was in Bordeaux, France at the Grand Theatre, Paris on July 1, 1789, and then it came to the United States in 1794.

La Fille Mal Gardée, which is roughly translated to “the wayward daughter,” is not unknown to Reading, Pennsylvania-area theatregoers as it has somewhat of a legacy at Berks Ballet Theatre (BBT). In fact, BBT first mounted the ballet in the fall of 1988. Current BBT Artistic Director, Kelly Barber, recently spoke with the ballet company’s Founding Director Carol Ennis about the ballet and its history with the company. Here’s what she had to say:

Q: What made you decide to first set “La Fille Mal Gardee” and have it become a big part of BBT’s repertoire in the late ’80s and early ’90s?

A: “We had a semi-professional company for the ’88-’89 season and were invited to be the opening performance at the new Scottish Rite Cathedral in West Reading. So, in September of 1988, we mounted the full-length ‘La Fille’ for the first time. We had all new sets created and new costumes made, based on Frederick Ashton’s version choreographed for the Royal Ballet in London in 1960.”

“There was a big gala to celebrate the opening of the new theater, and it was a really big event for the community. We then did the ballet in the spring of 1990 in collaboration with Repertory Dance Theatre in Allentown because I was a good friend of their director. We were able to get a group of male dancers from the School of American Ballet in NYC since RDT had a connection to the school.”

“In 1994, I decided to set the ballet again, this time calling it ‘The Farmer’s Daughter’ since I knew the title wasn’t very well known. It was a shortened version of the ballet but still showcasing all of the main scenes and dances. Traditionally, the role of Widow Simone is danced by a male performer, and that adds to the comedy in the ballet, especially during the clog dance. My Associate Director, the late Bob Sheridan, danced the role in 1988 & 1990 and was hysterical. He had everyone in the audience laughing.”

See The Latest Iteration of La Fille Mal Gardée on May 11!

The Ballet features two acts danced by the company’s 21 company dancers along with world-renowned professional dancer, Aaron Smyth. Set in a picturesque French countryside village, the ballet tells the story of a young woman named Lise (danced by Kaitlyn Staskel, a Junior at Warwick High School in Lititz, Pa.) who falls in love with a young farmer named Colas (Smyth). Lise is an only child to Simone, and overbearing mother and farm owner, who has other ambitious plans for her daughter.

There’s just one chance to see the show on Saturday May 11th at 7:30pm at the Miller Center for the Arts in Reading, Pa. Click here for tickets.