The Dancers’ Perspective

In Ballet West’s Season Opener Madame Butterfly, Principal Artists Arolyn Williams, Beckanne Sisk, and First Soloist Sayaka Ohtaki will be cast as Cio-Cio San, the ballet’s headlining role. Portraying this emotionally complex character through dance is both difficult and delicate. Here, the three leads discuss their relationship to the ballet and the part.

For Arolyn Williams, the role is especially dear to her. In 2009, it earned her accolades and helped define this unique and fascinating artist.  “Steven Woodgate and Stanton Welch were both extremely kind to me, especially as I was so inexperienced. I also couldn’t have been as successful in that role without [now-retired Ballet West Principal Artist] Michael Bearden. He was so patient. We rehearsed the pas de deux on our own over and over again in the studio until it was second nature. It was so great to get the mechanics down like that because by the time we got onstage, I could just let the character take over, almost like I was along for the ride and she (Cio-Cio San) was driving it.” Arolyn received national attention from multiple media outlets for her intense and heartbreaking portrayal of the role. A profile in DANCE Magazine raved that she had “musicality, impeccable footwork, and a blissfully light upper body.”

This will be the first time Beckanne Sisk and Sayaka Ohtaki have embodied Cio-Cio San, and while both are excited, they are also humbled to represent a character that audiences around the world know and love. “Personally, the character is opposite from the way I act and think. But, the story is universal, and I’ve also had life experiences that connect me to this character,” said Sayaka, who is from Tokyo, Japan. “I’ve been in the United States for nine years, and I have to remember to be more low-key in the role. It requires subtlety and a nuanced approach.”

For Beckanne, slipping into Cio-Cio San is an immersive experience. “You have Puccini’s music, Stanton’s choreography, and it surrounds you. The experience is all-encompassing, and once I step on stage I get lost inside the character and story.” Both Beckanne and Sayaka agree the story’s universal human elements help anyone relate to the story. “Everyone will connect to these characters because most people have been in love, felt love, and most of us have experienced the pain and hurt of that emotion,” said Beckanne. Sayaka has one piece of advice for audience members, which she uses herself, “Buy waterproof makeup. When Cio-Cio says goodbye to her son, I can’t stop crying. It is the most heartbreaking role I have ever danced.”