Tango
A very brief review, not because there isn't enough to say, but because I'm tired and unwell, and hence not very eloquent.
This was easily the best production of "Giselle" I have ever seen in terms of staging, lighting and costumes. It was breathtaking: beautiful without being garish; classical but not old-fashioned; and the scene where the Wilis rise from their graves actually gave me chills. I can't imagine how it can possibly be staged better.
Lisa Bolte shone as Giselle, like something out of a picture-book. Watching her was a complete pleasure, both as an actress and as a dancer - she was just exquisite.
Pity about the rest of the cast - most notably Damien Welch as Albrecht (who can neither jump nor spin, and seems to do all in his power to make Lisa Bolte work twice as hard when he is partnering her). It's a real shame that the technical standards at AB have slipped even in the last 7-8 years that I've been following their shows, and "Giselle" absolutely pushed the limits of most of the dancers' capabilities. They no longer look like a world-class ballet company, and just a couple of years ago they certainly did (in the 70s, when this production originated, they were an excellent company; Nureyev recorded his "Don Quixote" with them). There is still a lot of extremely talented dancers, but they need more classical training, and because of the focus on modern dance collaborations, they no longer get much classical experience on stage. One classical ballet a year is all they are doing now, and they can barely cope with that. Sad but true.
This was easily the best production of "Giselle" I have ever seen in terms of staging, lighting and costumes. It was breathtaking: beautiful without being garish; classical but not old-fashioned; and the scene where the Wilis rise from their graves actually gave me chills. I can't imagine how it can possibly be staged better.
Lisa Bolte shone as Giselle, like something out of a picture-book. Watching her was a complete pleasure, both as an actress and as a dancer - she was just exquisite.
Pity about the rest of the cast - most notably Damien Welch as Albrecht (who can neither jump nor spin, and seems to do all in his power to make Lisa Bolte work twice as hard when he is partnering her). It's a real shame that the technical standards at AB have slipped even in the last 7-8 years that I've been following their shows, and "Giselle" absolutely pushed the limits of most of the dancers' capabilities. They no longer look like a world-class ballet company, and just a couple of years ago they certainly did (in the 70s, when this production originated, they were an excellent company; Nureyev recorded his "Don Quixote" with them). There is still a lot of extremely talented dancers, but they need more classical training, and because of the focus on modern dance collaborations, they no longer get much classical experience on stage. One classical ballet a year is all they are doing now, and they can barely cope with that. Sad but true.