Classic romantic ballet performed to perfection
Considered a representation of the highest achievement in romantic ballet, various versions of Giselle populate the repertoire lists of ballet companies worldwide. Commissioned by English National Ballet in 1953, this Mary Skeaping version restores many original scenes, creating a cohesive version that effectively stitches together the two disparate halves of this ballet.
The story of a woman betrayed by a cheating fiancee, while the first act showcases a peasant celebration of a wine festival, the second revolves entirely around the supernatural. The Wilis, the ghosts of brides who have died before their wedding, lure various young men to their deaths by forcing them to dance til exhaustion.
Erina Takahashi gives a stellar performance as the peasant girl turned Wilis Giselle, driven to madness and eventually death by her fiancees betrayal. Takahashi perfectly captures the fragile humility of her character, making her truthful interpretation of the iconic ‘mad scene’ even more impactful.
Her final few performances before retirement after a 30-year long career, it is a privilege to watch Takahashi dance for the first and last time. The original choreography by Jean Corelli and Jules Perrot has been revised by Marius Petipa and it’s hard to imagine the titular role danced any better.
Francesco Gabriele Frola plays Albrecht, the disguised Duke of Silesia, while Fabian Reimair is the scorned suitor Hilarion. Frola and Takahashi have a beautiful partnership, performing the act 2 pas de deux with lightness and warmth.
Costumes by David Walker are breathtaking, with the Wilis dressed in ethereal tutus that fall softly around the ballerinas. Precious Adams plays a formidable Myrtha, commanding men to dance to their death before her as Queen of the Wilis.
Sets are also designed by Walker and are just as sensational as his costumes, providing hyper-realistic backdrops for some exceptional dancing. Lighting designed by David Mohr and recreated by Charles Bristow truly helps these sets come to life. Gavin Sutherland conducts the English National Ballet Philharmonic to a lovely rendition of the score, creating a particularly haunting soundtrack to the ‘dance of the Wilis’.
Skeaping’s choreography brings back much of the mime from original versions which is the only dampener on this production. Completely uninterpretable, the movements of Giselle’s mother Berthe when explaining the legend of the Wilis add very little to the story, even with a translation in the program.
Despite the additions of pantomime, this version of Giselle is a beautiful blend of traditional and modern and is a practically perfect production that captures the essence of romanticism in ballet.
Very well thought out Review. Particularly agree about Act 2 which created just the right ethereal quality to enhance the wonderful dancing and inteperpreation of the choreography.