Giselle

The National Ballet of Canada, 2007

Artistic Director: Karen Kain

Reviewed By: Breanne Cursley

4.5 Stars

Giselle is definitely one of the classic ballets; written in 1841, it has certainly stood the test of time – and is still very popular, drawing crowds of people – from a young girl in a party dress to an elderly gentleman with a walking cane. To some, watching Giselle was like visiting an old friend, having seen it before, and to others, it was discovering something new.

This romantic tragedy is the story of two ill-fated lovers; Hilarion is a forester who is planning to marry the beautiful Giselle, a peasant girl. Unfortunately for Hilarion, Giselle has fallen in love with Loys, who is in fact Albrecht, the Count of Silesia – disguised to win Giselle’s affections. It isn’t long when Hilarion discovers Albrecht’s true identity, and during some village festivities he reveals it to all of the peasants – including Giselle. Overcome with grief, she turns to madness, reliving all the happy moments she and Albrecht had together, until her insanity drives her so far that she takes her own life.

When the second act opens you see Hilarion in the forest at Giselle’s grave, mourning, when the Wilis (who are spirits of betrayed young women like Giselle who have died from grief) arrive and scare him away. After Hilarion’s departure the Wilis leave as well, and then Albrecht arrives. Giselle’s ghost then appears, and her and Albrecht dance together until the Wilis reappear. They force Albrecht to dance until he is exhausted, so Giselle has to stall them until the dawn church bells ring, because the Wilis cannot exist in daylight. She does this and at dawn the Wilis are forced to disappear forever, because Giselle’s love rose above her death. Feeling lighter because he is now forgiven by Giselle, but knowing he will never be with her again, Albrecht is left alone in the world with his sorrow as his only companion.

One thing that really made Giselle more spectacular for me was the sets. They were beautifully painted and designed, and added so much to the overall performance. The sets also matched up artistically to the dancing, which was simply breathtaking. Giselle is known as one of the most difficult roles for the principal dancers to play, and I thought that all the dancers stepped up to this challenge, and danced it magnificently as the National Ballet performers are known to do.

Giselle is certainly a ballet I wouldn’t mind seeing again, and again, and I am excited to see many more future projects for this season by this company of very dedicated dancers.

After watching Polyphonia (a contemporary/classical ballet piece) just minutes before Giselle, I’m sure the audience was apprehensive whether this very classical ballet would contrast too drastically with the modern feel and moves of Polyphonia. But the night proved to the perfect balance between what was and what is to come in the world of ballet.

Read The AnEVibe interview with Queen of the Wilis from Giselle Heather Ogden, Click Here

Giselle
Choreography: Peter Wright after Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa
Music: Adolphe Adam, orchestral reduction by George Crum
Set and Costume Design: Desmond Heeley
Lighting Design: Gil Wechsler