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Osipova + Acosta in Giselle


pbl

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What a treat! It's nice to get a glimpse of what all the excitement was about in the UK reviews of her performances. But for all the praise deservedly heaped on her, I'm also impressed with Acosta's partnering - very unobtrusive and smooth in the most difficult passages in Act II.

But I am puzzled at one small dramatic point: the clip labeled "Change into a Wili" (a labeling we see in other performances of Giselle). By refusing to go along with the Wilis and force Albrecht to dance to his death, doesn't she escape the fate of the Wilis, viz., joining their ranks through eternity? She "rests in peace," not in their eternal torment of revenge and hatred. I'm just curious if all versions of Giselle say she becomes a Wili. Note that in many productions, the actual Wilis wear some kind of crown of flowers (remnants of the wedding that never happened for them?), but she's bare-headed to the end when she re-enters her grave.

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This most be one of the most exquisite productions I've ever seen. Everything is just perfection. Osipova is a technical wonder. Her entrechats during the Act II PDD are one of those VERY few where one can actually see them...almost as if suspended on the air. The only others I can think of in terms of similarity are those of Yuri Soloviev. The sets and costumes can't be more glorious. Acosta is, in my eyes, one of the only two current performers who conveys enough maturity and masculinity in this role to make it what it should be-(Gomes being the other one). The characters and situations are developed to its maximum. Very few times have I seen a mad scene in which the ballerina reminds me of a real psych patient. Berthe is also very well developed. The desperation and horror after Giselle's death...the way she violently discards both Albrecht and Hilarion when they try to get close to her daughter's dead body. Wow. Also, this mad scene has been very carefully created, with so many hints to Giselle's previous story-(as with the moments where she recalls in her blurry mind the knock on her cottage's door and her opening scene). Osipova FLIES during the initiation scene, and Myrtha's weakness during the sequence of Giselle protecting Albrecht with her body in cross is very well presented. Acosta went all vintage by taking us back to the manly times where one hand partnering in adagio was more common. BRAVO!!! Wow, wow, wow...this most be probably THE Giselle of the 10's. I'm sure Spessivtseva, Ulanova, Markova, Alonso, Dolin, Youskevitch and the rest of the regal court of this ballet would be very proud of what they did with it.

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The most remarkable thing about Acosta is that he is near the end of his career, but I would still rather see him than anyone else in the RB as Albrecht. I've always admired his blend of toughness and sensitivity in the romantic roles and I'm so very happy this Giselle gets to be preserved on DVD.

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