Northern Ballet soloist Abigail Prudames is taking dance audiences on an amazing aquatic adventure with her interpretation of the title character in the company’s newest production, The Little Mermaid.
She surfaced from beneath the waves for long enough to chat to Georgina Butler about becoming a mermaid ballerina…
Dancer Abigail Prudames is getting so used to decorating her face with iridescent make-up, flaunting a headdress adorned with seashells and slipping on a shimmering fish tail that being a mermaid is her new normal.
The 25-year-old soloist was cherry-picked by Northern Ballet's artistic director, David Nixon, last year to originate the principal role of Marilla the mermaid for his balletic rendering of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy-tale, The Little Mermaid. She started discovering and developing the mystical creature’s personality and mannerisms in earnest from May 2017. Just four months later, on 21st September 2017, the production had its world premiere in Southampton.
Abigail, who is from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, trained at the Royal Ballet School, White Lodge and Elmhurst School for Dance. She joined Northern Ballet in 2011 so has enjoyed dancing many characters but The Little Mermaid’s Marilla is the very first title role that has been created on her.
We squeezed in an interview between Abigail’s rehearsals for Northern Ballet’s concurrent touring production (a revival of Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre), the company’s daily class and performances of The Little Mermaid in Edinburgh. Read on for her thoughts on the creative process, dancing as a mermaid and why this immersive new ballet is making such a splash with audience members of all ages!
Last year, 2017, was a momentous one for Northern Ballet as the company premiered three new ballets – Casanova, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Little Mermaid – in just twelve months. The dancers performed Kenneth Tindall’s Casanova when they made their annual visit to Milton Keynes Theatre in April 2017.
Audiences in the new city saw Abigail dancing as one of the Savorgnan sisters, a guest at the masquerade ball and a courtesan in one cast, and as Casanova’s main love interest, Bellino, in another.
She enthuses: “The brilliant thing about the company is that we get so many opportunities to dance in different casts.”
The lavish parties of Casanova are quite a contrast to the underwater magic of The Little Mermaid. Abigail keenly acknowledges that “it is exciting to once again be bringing something different to Milton Keynes.”
Abigail found herself in uncharted waters when she was chosen as a muse to assist with creating the character of Marilla.
She said: “Marilla is the first title role I have ever been part of creating so she is very special to me. Really, it was more of a process than a big reveal. I was involved in costume design but there was never a big announcement. Of course, then the casting goes up and it is very nice to see it in writing!”
Although happy to answer questions about her involvement, Abigail was quick to point out that many people have brought Northern Ballet’s The Little Mermaid to life.
Indeed, before stepping into the studio with the dancers, artistic director David Nixon had already started worked closely with composer Sally Beamish, set designer Kimie Nakano and the company’s wardrobe department.
Abigail said: “Importantly, for me, it has been all about figuring out who exactly Marilla is. Marilla is not a human being or an animal. She is a fantasy creature. So, she is different. Even once she has her legs, she is always slightly different. It has taken a lot to figure her out. I still struggle now to put into words exactly who she is.”
Marilla is the youngest of three sisters and Abigail describes her as “quite immature and childlike.”
The story is a heart-rending tale of unrequited love. It follows Marilla as she encounters a young human man, Prince Adair, and gives up the life she knows to join him in the human world.
Abigail explains: “It’s a love story but it is also about Marilla’s growth as an individual. It reveals her realisation that she is different and shows her naive trust in giving up a huge part of who she is – what she knows and what makes her happy - for what she believes to be true love.”
As part of her research for the character, Abigail read Hans Christian Andersen’s story. Intriguingly, though, the process of creating Marilla continues every time she dances the role.
Abigail said: “The wonderful thing about such a process is that Marilla is still evolving now. Her whole existence is always open to interpretation.
“There are four of us doing Marilla so when audiences watch different casts they will get slightly different interpretations. That is the beauty of having so many different casts producing live performances; it can still be quite individual, even though we are doing the same steps to the same music.
“It really is so special, being able to bring something of yourself to a role.”
A key question surrounding the creation of this ballet must have been: how do you dance as a mermaid?
Abigail reveals: “To be Marilla, I am constantly moving because nothing is ever still in the water. Imagine being a piece of seaweed - it moves because the water moves it. Even if I stand still on the stage I must keep moving, just like when you are in a swimming pool and the water covers and moves you.”
When asked whether she has a favourite section within The Little Mermaid to dance, Abigail cites “the pain solos”.
She said: “It sounds cruel, but I most enjoy dancing the parts that hurt her! From what I have heard from audiences, these moments come across well – and this feedback makes the tension and effort in my body worth it. So, it’s not a scene that I particularly enjoy, it’s her journey. She’s a constant throughout the ballet and the most painful moments help her grow.”
Significantly, the ballet is not based on Disney’s version of the underwater tale and there is no "happily ever after" ending for Marilla. What has the reaction from audiences been like?
“Often the best stories have some darkness to them but there is a lot of light and shade in this production and plenty for the whole family to enjoy.
“We have fish, jellyfish, sailors, mermaids in shimmering costumes, glamorous ladies in beautiful red dresses. There is a lot of colour, which makes the ballet attractive to children.
“I'd say there is something for everyone and it speaks to adults and children alike, they just have different perspectives on it.
“My little brother is eleven and he understood and appreciated the ending. And I spoke with an elderly lady who was in tears telling me how much my performance of Marilla's pain had moved her and that she will never forget it. That is something I will never forget, the knowledge that I have been part of that lady's life in that way.”
“I think the kids find themselves in awe, while the adults become mesmerised by the pain and poignancy. And everyone admires the costumes!”
The production pictures and publicity imagery for The Little Mermaid leave dance fans with no doubt that this ballet’s costumes are vibrant and varied. And there are mermaid tails to marvel at too…
Abigail: “The tail was with us from the beginning. We had a prototype in the very first rehearsal, so it was believable from the start and so that we didn’t create any movement that then didn’t work.
“I was in the fittings when everything was being decided about how the mermaid tail was going to look. This meant I could add my thoughts when the designers asked questions like: how does it move; do you think it will it work; is it comfortable?
“It was more like a prop to start with. We had to learn to incorporate it into everything. It was tricky at first but towards the end it just became like second nature that I did have a tail!”
Northern Ballet dancer Abigail Prudames, speaking to Georgina Butler.
> Northern Ballet's The Little Mermaid visits Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday (April 17) until Saturday, April 21.
To book tickets ciick here
For more interviews, news, features and reviews by Georgina, visit https://georginabutler.co.uk/ and follow her on Twitter @GeorginaLButler and Instagram @glbdancewriter
> Never miss leisure news in Milton Keynes - Follow us on www.twitter.com/thisistotalmk
And on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thisistotalmk
