"The 7th Dwarf" Released in UK Theaters

There aren't much in the way of (English) reviews for this film but despite hopes for the production, with some ex-Disney Company names such as the talented (and, sadly, late) Harald Siepermann on the team (you may recognize some of his character design work from Tarzan, Enchanted and more), as well as design work from the amazing Man Arenas, I'm not sure I'd view this any way other than Netflix.

Even The Guardian's review, while generally a "thumbs up", is a bit sparse on details. But apparently there's a very successful franchise that this movie is a part of in Germany, so perhaps there's more to this than is immediately apparent.

The 7th Dwarf is the latest in the Snow White-inspired franchise created by German comedianOtto Waalkes. Two previous live-action versions of the series have together grossed around $75 million in Germany alone.

While it's difficult to truly assess trailers (what with the power of editing being able to transform a movie's story or genre), when I finally did view one I saw why it was initially thought to have a lot of potential.

Here's the trailer:

And the synopsis:

When Bobo, the youngest of the seven dwarves, accidentally pricks Princess Rose (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty) and sends the kingdom into a century-long slumber, Bobo and the other six dwarves must travel into the future in order to revive Rose... and find that even the smallest dwarf can be a king.  

A hilarious mash-up of the best classic fairy tales for young and old alike, featuring a suicidal dragon, a brave little dwarf, non-stop gags, and toe-tapping songs in Stereo 3-D.

Clearly, "the gang's all here" (ie. all your standard fairy tale characters are here) which, admittedly, isn't my favorite fairy tale genre to begin with. Taking the little reviews have said though, I'm not confident it's as little-kid-friendly as it's supposed to be (think German sensibilities/humor!). There are bound to be some interesting ideas in there but are they worth mining for?

Additional sources: HERE, HERE and  HERE

School Transformed into Snow Queen Scenes - Kids' Grades Soar in Response

From The Snow Queen illustrated by Vadislav Erko - note all the tools of learning in this illustration

Wow. I wish kids here had the opportunity to learn like this! There's not a whole lot of information about this event, other than a very short piece in a local paper but it's a fantastic example of immersive learning and teaching through the arts and fairy tales to foster excellence in students.

The whole idea of using the setting to immerse student senses and live storytelling is to engender learning of often-challenging subjects for kids. And it works. It really, really works!

Here's the short report:

SCENES from Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen turned St Mary's Church of England Primary in Stansted into a fairy-tale world. 

Pupils felt like they were stepping into a storybook after staff gave the primary a revamp during a (pupil free) day. 

It set the backdrop as children started a two-week project basing all their literacy and artwork on different versions of the much-loved story. 

They were treated to a performance of the play by Quantum Theater, paid for by the school's PTFA. 

"Seeing the school transformed was a wonderful surprise and caused great excitement," said Kate Maginn, English co-ordinator. "All the children produced quality pieces of writing and art, whatever their age."

(Source HERE)

Congratulations to the caring and motivated parents and teachers who worked so hard on their pupil free day, made this happen and brought Quantum Theater into the school to bring the story to life to boot!

Not coincidentally, this type of education is exactly what Quantum Theater is all about. They're specifically set up to amp education via stories, fairy tales and theater. The idea is to help kids learn the basics, like reading, writing and maths, to enjoy the process and to get excited about learning even more. It's such a brilliant program. If I were wealthy I'd make a point of expanding their company so they can reach more kids.Here's more from the "About Us" section of Quantum Theater's website (we need these guys over here please!):

Quantum Theatre for Science was founded in 1988 as a direct response to the lack of educational drama available to schools on the subject of numeracy and science. Over twenty years on, nearly three thousand schools each year see Quantum performances, using them to introduce or re-enforce these topics, making Quantum Britain's foremost science and numeracy-based theatre-in-education company.

Our customers have come to rely on Quantum's characteristic style; educational elements combined with pacey, humorous musical theatre. Our aim is to make the world of science and numeracy accessible and relevant to children's everyday experiences by bringing it "to life."                     If you're wondering "Why Snow Queen?", there's a lot to work with in the story, with everything from each season getting a showcase through to the idea of puzzles, math and logic (not to mention writing on a fish!). I don't know how the play was written for the show to be specifically focused on reading and writing and more but whatever they're doing, it clearly worked. Works. They're still touring around other (lucky) schools. Could Quantum Theater (and the happy teachers and parents at St. Mary's Primary) please come have a chat with my son's school, so the kids here can also learn this way? I'm lucky if I get to do a proper storytelling for our kiddos, let alone transform the school for a unit! Note: photos are from St. Mary's Primary and from the Snow Queen production by Quantum Theater (found on their Twitter account). *We did a little of this in the Children's Theater I worked with but not to the extent of working with the education system directly. We would try to incorporate learning principles ourselves but it's so much more effective if teachers, parents and guests are working together!

Ask Baba Yaga: Should I Be Less Shy?

Baba Yaga's House by Boris Dimitrovski

Ah - when extroverts do not get introverts! It's a standard complaint of the quiet one, being seen as sad, sad little people... (not so!). But even though we know it's normal, the looks get to us after a while (the imply we are "less than") and we start to wonder, "should I do something about it?"

Today's timely question and answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

Oh good point.. it's not about me at all and I do not need "fixing". I'll be over here, not talking... probably reading... or writing... or contemplating the mysteries of the universe. And I'll be happy too.

Baba Yaga by Boris Dimitrovski

What do you think of Baba Yaga's advice?

Want to ask Baba Yaga a question of your own?

You can!

There's now an email address where you can send your questions

directly to Baba Yaga herself.

AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com

To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).

* Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.

Review: Ballet Austin's "Belle Redux: A Tale of Beauty & the Beast"

Belle Redux: A Tale of Beauty & the Beast
Ballet Austin

Review by Tahlia Merrill (Timeless Tales Magazine)

What could be a more appropriate way to spend Valentine's weekend than attending a fairy tale themed ballet? Belle Redux is only playing in Austin for three days and I had the privilege of enjoying opening night. 

This is no Swan Lake, though. With narry a tutu or pointe shoe in sight, Belle Redux firmly establishes itself as a contemporary interpretation of Beauty and the Beast. The show, advertised as "multimedia", incorporates digital screens into the set to enhance the experience. Sometimes the screens clarify the location, such as a projected chandelier silhouette that lets the audience know they are viewing the Beast's mansion. Other times, they assist the plot, such as the pulsing red bar that appears on stage when the Beast (portrayed by Ed Carr) is first cursed (his Beast form is represented by a red stripe that runs from head to navel). The single set piece--a foil covered structure--is transformed from nondescript backdrop to ominous castle by shifting the lighting. 

While the style is contemporary, that does not mean Redux is a modernization. The set and costumes are designed as abstract symbols rather than fitting any specific time period. The music too blends the clear tones of classical strings with the gritty reverb of electric guitar. 

Because the show sticks to a fairly monochromatic color scheme, I found myself drawing connections between the characters' costumes and their good/evil alignment. It seemed simple at first: Belle's sisters dress in black leotards to show that they are wicked. Belle (danced by Michelle Thompson) wears a fluttery green dress to show her fresh innocence. The father wears black and white plaid to show that his loyalties are divided--while he loves Belle, he is still controlled by his evil daughters. Since The Rose represents the curse, the ballerina playing The Rose is dressed in a spiky black tutu and a crown of red roses. The Beast wears black leather pants with a white waistband, so that means he's evil, but there's still a little good in him. 

It's not always that simple, of course. In the first scene, both good and evil are portrayed wearing white, as is the pre-beast prince. Here's the description of the prologue from the program:

"In a beautiful place, a young boy lives. He is surrounded by roses and a life filled with things that are good. As he grows, the goodness surrounding him is subsumed by evil. As the boy matures, he resists the evil, but it cruelly marks him."

Notice that, in this version, the Beast doesn't start out as a haughty prince who rejects an ugly woman. This isn't a story about the Beast's redemption, it's about Belle's ability to see his true self. In the end, Belle finds herself in a room full of mirrors where she encounters versions of her family members, now carrying the same red mark as the Beast. Eventually, she sees a reflection of herself with the same red mark. It is only then that she sees both the Beast and the Prince at the same time. 

Now, because dance is such an abstract medium, it can be tough to pull out definitive messages. But my interpretation of the action is that when when Belle finally kisses the Prince, it shows that she has learned to love the inner good of the Beast. Everyone has imperfections, including Belle, but only the Beast has them displayed for everyone to see. 

Most surprisingly, instead of her kiss permanently bringing back the handsome Prince, the final scene is a romantic dance between Belle and the Beast--still bearing his red mark. In Redux, love isn't about changing a person, but loving them, scars and all. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Tahlia Merrill is Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine, and an official partner of Once Upon A Blog.

Production: Belle Redux: A Tale of Beauty & the Beast by Ballet Austin - A 3M Innovation Commission
Performance Date: February 13th, 2015
Cast: Michelle Thompson dances Belle and Ed Carr portrays the Beast.
Photos by: Tony Spielberg (courtesy of Ballet Austin)

Once upon a time... A forbidden garden, a mysterious castle...  A beauty. A beast. A ballet. Inspired by the 1946 Jean Cocteau film and featuring an original score by Graham Reynolds. Commissioned by 3M.  FEBRUARY 13-15 at The Long Center.

More information can be found about Ballet Austin's commissioned production by 3M Innovation at the website HERE, while showings and tickets information can be found HERE (Sunday tickets are still available!).

You can see our previous post on Belle Redux and the unique approach to the production and retelling of the fairy tale, including costume and set design, HERE.

Disclosure: Complimentary tickets were provided in exchange for an honest review.

My Fairy Tale Romance Is Not For the Faint Of Heart

The cover for Winter rose by Patricia A. McKillip, painting by Kinuko Y. Craft

I'm not usually one to note days like Valentine's Day but with all the talk of love and fairy tales at the moment in the media I thought I'd take the opportunity to share one of my favorite fairy tales ever since it has a lot to do with love.

It's Tam Lin and I love this fairy tale ballad, but not because of the initial passion and "romance", though clearly the girl who insists on exploring "her" land, (despite that it's forbidden) is not some shy, retiring violet. Depending on how you read it, it can be seen as a lust-at-first-sight situation (and she's actually the one who makes the first move) which leaves the girl pregnant. Even if you allow for some time and it not all happening on a first meeting, it's still happens very quickly. While it's all very sexy (and the metaphors within the ballad can be interpreted quite steamily!), it's not really a good basis for a relationship. But it's what happens afterward that draws me in.

The girl, Janet (or Jennet or sometimes Margaret) stands by her decision to choose this man, against her father's will, against the possibility of losing everything and facing the very real possibility that she will be a disowned single mother with no title, land or resources. Not only that, in order to be with her man at all, she has to go up against the Faerie Queen (think super model with celebrity status, hefty bodyguards and actual magic to boot) to win her man back from the tithe/enchantment he's under - and it's a really tough challenge.

She has to pull him off a horse from the middle of an intimidating (and dangerous) Faerie Retinue that's in the middle of a serious procession,  then has to keep a hold of him as he changes forms, trying to escape her grasp, until he changes back into a man and wraps him in a green cloak. The forms include a bear, a lion, a giant snake and fire (!). Her mantra through all this is to remember he is already committed to her (he reminds her he will be present in the future as the father for their son too) and to "hold tight, don't let go".

It's simple but hefty advice for a couple - to hold tight to your partner, to your relationship and your family, through all the changes and challenges you never see coming.

She wins, of course, and the Faerie Queen is furious but must keep her end of the bargain.

I always imagine the heroine in quite bad shape afterward (not to mention exhausted and worried about her baby that's almost due to be born) while her just-freed man is disoriented, aching and naked under the green cloak she's wrapped him in. It's a tough start for the little family but it's an exhilarating one and it's clear they're not people who give up. He isn't (he's been waiting years for the right girl to bond to and to free him) and she isn't (she's just proven that) and they're about to start a new line of fierce people who love with their all.

Because Tam Lin had kept his human heart - the heart that loved Janet - intact through it all (much to the Faerie Queen's regret), he was able to turn back to his true self and be with the one he truly loved - the one who truly loved him.

I can't think of a better way to show your love for someone than to celebrate them as fully as possible and be proud of that in the good times and to be there with them, side by side, when challenges rise, no matter what happens and how unrecognizable they become in the process.

May we love wisely, well and fiercely!

What is your favorite fairy tale about love, passion and/or romance, and why?

Note:  Apart from the header, images above are by Jill Karla Schwarz from the Time Life Series Enchanted World retelling of Tam Lin. While there are a number of wonderful retellings of the story in novel form, my favorite is still Patricia A. McKillip's Winter Rose, the full spread cover of which is shown at the head of the post. (See? I do have somewhat of a romantic side!)

Eternity...

I didn't know this existed until recently but it was most definitely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. It even comes with the quote attached. (Looks really closely at the teeny letters below the shapes in the tray. I've kept the image as big as possible so it will spill over into the sidebar, but you can read it...)

It would make for an interesting gift for a friend, don't you think? I mean, would you be saying "I'll love you for Eternity" or "you're a puzzle I will never put together"? ;)

The creator is Artemy Lebedev and should still be available for purchase.

He arranged his pieces to spell out many words; but he could never find
the way to make the one word he was so eager to form.
The word was “Eternity.”
The Snow Queen had said to him,
“If you can puzzle that out you shall be your own master,
and I’ll give you the whole world and a new pair of skates.”

"Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs" Movie Coming

My first reaction was probably like yours: ??

There isn't much information but thought I'd give the heads-up on this anyway, especially as it will be, feature length, made in English and intended for distribution to the US, and likely UK and Australia as well.

From Variety:

South Korean sales agency Finecut has picked up international rights to “Red Shoes & The 7 Dwarfs,” an English-language animated feature that is a twist on the classic “Snow White” tales.

The $12 million family-oriented 3D animated project is now in production at Locus Creative Studio, one of the leading animation and VFX companies in Korea. Delivery is scheduled for summer 2017.

Director Hong Sungho describes the film as “tackling the inconvenient truth” about Snow White, namely that the dwarves are knights under a spell and Snow White is no longer the fairest woman in the land.

The screenplay previously won a 2010 Korean Story Competition and sees the dwarf knights on a quest for red shoes which have magical powers, but which are already on the feet of another woman.

The film will be CG and apparently Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs is a working title.

The film is scheduled to be released in the Summer of 2017 in Korea so, with news reaching Variety like this, there's a chance the US will see it in the same calendar year as well. Maybe.

Handless Maiden Fairy Tale Weekend Workshop (Sydney, Australia)

Swahili version of the Handless Maiden by Megan KearneyThe One-Handed Girl from the Lilac Fairy Book (text HERE)
(She's currently illustrating a comic/sequential retelling of Beauty & the Beast)

From Belinda Calderone of the Monash Fairy Tale Salon and the AFTS, news of a Fairy Tale Workshop on the theme of The Handless Maiden:

Highly recommended collection of retold fairy tales
(Goodreads link for more info)

The Grimms’ “Das Mädchen ohne Hände” (The Maiden Without Hands) is certainly one of the most disturbing and fascinating fairy tales.There are over a hundred variants, often known as “The Handless Maiden,” “Silver Hands” or “The Armless Maiden.” 

A whole weekend workshop focussing on this tale? Yes, please! 

This beautiful workshop is run by Heather Keens, an experienced individual and family therapist, and Joan Harcourt, an experienced body psychotherapist and group leader. Together they will help attendees explore this rich fairy tale from a Jungian psychological perspective. 

As Keens and Harcourt remind us, “The Handless Maiden is a story about individuation, about developing one’s inner strength, resilience and creativity. It is a story about losing your hands, living with silver hands and finding your hands.” 

The part I love the most is that these inspiring women take this tale of loss and healing, and make it personal to the attendees: “there will be an opportunity to explore your own journey to the conscious feminine and the inner positive masculine in a safe and contained setting. We work through discussion, metaphor and symbol, movement, dream work and art in this process.” 

Sounds incredible! 

This workshop will be of interest to health professionals, counsellors, expressive therapists, storytellers, writers or anyone engaged in their own psychological journey.

The workshop will take place from February 20 through to the 22nd, 2015.

Further details on the workshop times, location and fees can be found in the PDF flier, available to view HERE.

Casting News: Emma Thompson in Talks for Mrs. Potts

The Oscar-winning actress is in negotiations to play Mrs Potts, the housekeeper turned into a teapot, in the live action film version of Disney’s Beauty And The Beast. 

The kindly Mrs Potts helps Belle, the tale’s heroine, sort out her romantic entanglements. Emma Watson will star as Belle. 

Director Bill Condon has been working with composer Alan Menken about which songs from the 1991 animated movie will feature in the new picture. (Source)

So will this be for her voice only, or her voice and an appearance at the end or ...?

Right now I'm having trouble imagining how the enchanted objects aspect of Disney's Beauty and the Beast will work for a live action film.

I've always been enamored of the invisible servants approach myself.

Fifty Shades Is Just Beauty & the Beast?! (No, no, no, no, no..!)

CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECT ALERT:

But I guess this was an inevitable comparison. 

I just didn't quite expect the write-up to read quite like this:

It seemed to many E.L. James, America’s new softcore sweetheart, was working some kind of magic on jaded American consumers, and had stumbled on the one choice of subject matter that could get people reading again. Yet the roots of its popularity stretched much deeper than its author’s source material, and what a Newsweek cover story dubbed “The Fantasy Life of Working Women.” At its most basic, Fifty Shades of Grey—like Twilight,and like so many bestsellers that have come before—appealed not just to suburban housewives, but to the little girls they had once been. The story is less a booster for bondage... than a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. At the end of her saga, when all the whips have been sheathed and the harnesses have been unstrung, Anastasia Steele has tamed and wedded her beast, given birth to one of his children, and conceived another. In its final lines, the narrative appears less a celebration of sexual transgression than of the nuclear family. ...The beast, vanquished, has transformed into a prince, and she has become his princess. 

(There's more. You can read the whole, huge article, titled 50 Shades Is Just 'Beauty and the Beast' with Handcuffs and Sex Toys, with all its reasonings HERE.)

So basically Twilight & Fifty Shades of Grey = Beauty & the Beast?

Only if the message in the fairy tale is "transform your man", "tame your Beast", "give in to your Savior complex" or "stand by your nightmare until he becomes a Prince"!

Please tell me this is not really the "fairy tale" (colloquial use of the term) that people truly want?


See this is where I think Disney needs to seriously overhaul the Beast's character at the beginning of their movie. There needs to be another way for he and Belle to be in conflict, because the resulting message, no matter how it was originally intended, is a recipe for abuse (and possibly Stockholm syndrome), and we've ended up with a lot of confused "little girls" out there...

*DELETES EVERYTHING ELSE I JUST WROTE*

Why am I bothering with this here? Because no matter how bad this film is purported to be, the book was (is?) a scary cultural phenomenon, which is how this it came to be made into a movie at all, and you know there are people you know that will see this. And when it gets talked about in conjunction with a fairy tale which is held as a favorite (for good reasons) by many enlightened people I know... well I think you should know and be prepared for it in case you get asked about it.

Ima jus' gonna leave this here now and move on...

UPDATE, LATER THE SAME EVENING AS WRITING THE ABOVE:

I just skimmed the article in Entertainment Weekly called Sex, Lies & Fifty Shades, because right there, smack in the middle of the article are pictures of Disney's Snow White (The Prince Paradigm) and Cinderella (The Cinderella Complex). Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast are also referenced in the article as are fairy tale and feminist issues in general, but not in the way I expected after the last article. The interesting thing about this use, is that the author/magazine used the images to draw you (me) in, to say "that's not what it's really about at all".

The real reasons for the popularity of Fifty Shades, and for the persistent role of domination and submission in women's sexual imaginations, are rooted in what it actually means to live life in a female body - and the truth about that is so dark it makes Christian Grey's Red Room of Pain seem as innocuous as a backyard sandbox. (Leslie Bennetts for Entertainment Weekly. A longtime writer for Vanity Fair, she is the author of The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving Up Too Much?)

While I don't agree with the whole article I think this makes a good and resonating point: one which, should you find yourself discussing fairy tales and feminism and the mixed up signals pop culture is sending us, that is worth keeping in mind.

You can currently read the EW article online HERE. You may want to note it starts provocatively, stating much about sex lives and the popularity of the books and coming movie, but this is only really the introduction to illustrate the baffling phenomena of this series that has bright minds having many arguments as to 'why?'. The quoted paragraph is the last one from that section and then it gets into a discussion that better suited to the question of "why are so many modern women consumed by this Fifty Shades fascination?" It may indeed have something to do with fairy tales, but not in the way that most people might think.