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Giselle: July 11-16, 2005


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I went to see Kent and Bocca again last night.

I thought it was even better than Monday night. Julie was simply perfect in the first act. Everything was just so natural, and she was so adorable!! Her mad scene was extremely different from Monday night's, but equally as effective. She was both cute, bubbly, and shy, yet ready to mature. She'd look at Albrecht, burst into giggles and run away, but if Bocca grasped her and looked at her (for what seemed like forever, nose to nose) she'd become serious, just gazing at him, not wanting to run away. Their chemistry was magical. Zerbinetta, I too noticed that moment- I thought it was one of the most adorable things I've ever seen on stage-Kent just sitting there, plucking the daisy, and Bocca totally enraptured by her, not even seeing the flower, just bewildered by her beauty, and stroking her hair and face as if to make sure she's really real. Like I said on Monday, what I really love is that Bocca is a real gentleman in that he times his jumps and his movements to perfectly match Kent's- he compromises- he jumps slightly lower and his movements are slightly smaller so he can mirror her- and that's what makes it so lovely to watch- they are always so in sync. Last night, I noticed more how Bocca was a more determined, almost agressive Albrecht, but still extremely soft and gentle. The look on his face when Giselle dies was pure horror and guilt.

Kent is such a natural actress. When her mother (Karin Ellis-Wentz- who did a very great job and was extremely believable) comes out and begins the mime about the Willis, she just stood there, frozen, glass-eyed, terribly frightened, ignoring Albrecht trying to sooth her by her side. I didn't see one blink. Then she ran over, shook her mother multiple times, horrified, and then embraced her. Or for example, when Bathilde comes, she is so shy and amazed by all her wealth and beauty. She kept her head to the floor every time Bathilde passed by, knealing in a deep lounge on the floor. And that infectious smile every time she sees Albrecht! :wallbash:

I began to tear up in Act Two, when Albrecht is dancing to his death. Bocca was the most heart-wrenching Albrecht I've ever seen- Jumping until he no longer could, shuddering, collapsing on the floor, and rocking back and forth, sobbing.

Veronica Part was absolutely gorgeous. Just amazing. She was a glamorous but frightening, imperial, regal, and commanding Myrta, she was breathtaking. In her jetes, the audience actually gasped because she looked like she was flying! She was so high up, and her legs perhaps unnecessarily were almost over 180 degrees.

Fang was a beautiful Zulma- though she is a softer, more lyrical dancer than this character requires, IMO.

Jesus Pastor was a great Hilarion- better than Sascha Radetsky. He didn't force his jumps in Act Two, which always bothers me, because its not about the jumps at this point! He really seemed to be thrown by the Willis against his will.

Erica Cornejo was wonderful in the Peasant Pas de Deux! So clean, easy, not one stumble, perfect doubles, and air-borne jumps! And a great smile and stage presence. I thought she was mismatched with Radetsky, who while nailing everything (with some stumbles here and there) looked like he was working so hard and forcing everything- I was on the edge of my seat. I'd love to see her dance it with Herman. :)

Ferri came out at the end with Kevin McKenzie, who said some very nice words- I don't remember exactly, but something along the lines of what an amazing ballerina she was, and what a twenty years this has been. During this speech, Bocca, who looked quite emotional, dashed off backstage to get her flowers, then ran on to give them to Ferri, grabbing her and embracing her for a long time (while Ferri mussed with his hair :wallbash: ) Then he kissed her. It was so nice to see, made one really wish they could see them together in this ballet after dancing together for so long and establishing a partnership that will go down in history. Then Kevin McKenzie brought her a bouquet of flowers, and Ferri turned around to alknowledge everyone on stage.

Bocca brought out her two little girls to bow with Ferri at her curtain calls. It was very sweet.

Special mention to Julie for her generosity in stepping in for Ferri for each of her performances, especially keeping in mind she has to dance again tonight, and giving the limelight to Ferri after such an extraordinary performance. :wallbash:

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Fang as Zulma!!!!I'm so sorry to miss that.Happy to hear that E Cornejo is back and dancing very well. Who was her partner?

Radetsky

Yeah, not to take away from anyone the other dancers, but I thought Cornejo and Rasetsky were really fine in the peasant pdd.

And Fang was very, very strong.

One sort of funny thing. Jesus Pastor was the last minute Hillarion. I thought he was made up to look real geeky, the kind of guy that is always being blown off. In a way it fit real well into the plot.

Going back to Bocca, and my comments. I think several others were on the same wavelength with me. The last few minutes were just beautiful with Kent just very, very gently moving out of touch of Bocca. Then she mimed the tears beautifully. It was a three hanky ending for sops like me that really get sucked into the plots.

Richard

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Add Reyes to the list of great Giselles this season. Her musicality, interpretive skills, and and her ability to convey emotion through dance are unsurpassed. Corella's was once again the ideal partner. The other standout was Stappas who was suitably slimy and frightening as Hilarion.

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Is Hilarion a bad guy, really?

Oberon, well not really, but he's jealous.

The whole tragedy would most likely have happened anyway, but he propels it along because his resentment of Giselle's feeling for Albrecht and his knowledge that Albrecht is not on the up and up.

Really, I think he comes to a worse end than he really deserves. I just think of him as being a jealous pest. But he dies and Albrecht lives. It doesn't seem quite fair but it wouldn't be much of a ballet if it worked in reverse!

Richard

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There's a really good discussion on this issue from way back when (1999) on alt.arts.ballet -

http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.ar...42f402f4c57b802

Look at the second post by Jim Williams.

All this would have been perfectly obvious to 19th-century European audiences because of the grounding in moral philosophy they received through church-controlled education. For example, why (morally speaking) does Hilarion deserve (within the moral logic of the ballet) to get chucked in the river, while Albrecht deserves to be saved? It's because of what motivated their critical actions. 19th-century religious philosophy made it clear that WHY you do things is more important than WHAT you do (since "we are not saved by works.") When Hilarion did what he did (expose Albrecht as an imposter), his motivation was not love, but bitterness. While Albrecht did things that were at least as bad (the impersonations, the lies, etc.) he was motivated by his genuine love for Giselle. It's the purity of his motivation that differentiates him from Albrecht and makes him receive life and forgiveness while Hilarion receives condemnation and death.

I haven't done the research, but I think he is right. Hilarion started out as a villain and as time went on, he slowly morphed from being a bad man to being the wrong man. In the same way, Albrecht also started out much more unequivocally a hero and as time went on we've found more flaws with him.

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Thanks, Leigh.

When does Albrecht realize he loves Giselle? Before we meet him? During the first act, before he pledges his love to her? When she dies? After she's dead? Is his pledge sincere, or does he consider Giselle in the context of his droit du seigneur? How does he plan to get around Bathilde?

So, what of his descent into cad-dom? Did he endure his first hundred or so years as a hero, only to lose morality points as the third wave of feminism took hold? That would make a lot of sense.

Of course, National Ballet of Cuba shows Giselle as proletarian victim exploited by the ruling class and Albrecht as something of an idiot. But that's a different set of circumstances.

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I think every Albrecht makes those decisions for himself. At the NBoC, Guillaume Cote does Albrecht completely innocently and it works - he can pull it off at his age. His moment of total knowledge is when Giselle leaves him for the last time at almost the very end. Her redemption of him and his learning that love can conquer revenge but not death is what makes him a man. Aleksandr Antonijevic is a bit older, so plays Albrecht as more duplicitous - his transition is at a more usual spot - by the time he comes out in Act II he is a changed man. Corella at ABT is in transition between the two interpretations.

I'm hoping Alexandra will jump in here, because she's better with the history, but Nureyev may have been the first of the cad Albrechts. Is that so, Alexandra?

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I think the Russian, or rather Soviet tradition, encourages Albrecht to be an aristo cad, and Hilarion a wronged man of the people. But as I recall Nurevey darkened his Albrecht as he got older. I saw him do it late in his career as an out and out bounder, smirking everytime Giselle looked away, ignoring her when Hilarion is shaking her, just looking humiliated during the mad scene, and almost turning away during her final run to him. And then, once she was dead, it all came home to him. He just stood there and slowly reached out his hand to her skirt. It was, I think, the most moving and effective thing I have ever ever seen on stage anywhere, not just ballet. After 30 years, I can still see every detail. But I think when a dancer is young, a heedless Albrecht really in love with Giselle works very well. It is a great role, and can have numerous interpretations.

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I went to the July 16th matinee of “Giselle” with Xiomara Reyes and Angel Corella. It was an incredibly beautiful and moving performance. In her dancing, Reyes stood out for her amazingly fast footwork. In Act II, she seemed lighter than a feather. But I was really impressed by Reyes’ portrayal of Giselle. In Act I, her Giselle was extremely young, innocent, and so full of love for Loys/Albrecht. When she found out that Albrecht had betrayed her, you could see her heart break right on stage. Reyes’ mad scene was so moving, I found myself in tears.

As Albrecht, Corella’s dancing was as impressive as usual. In Act II, his double assemble turns and leg beats (what is the correct ballet term for leg beats?) were outstanding. But his acting was just as powerful. Corella’s Albrecht was a young nobleman who thought he could take and do whatever he wanted. Notice his treatment of the poor Wilfred. But I think this Albrecht really fell in love with Giselle, probably without intending to. I don’t think I have ever seen an Albrecht as devastated as Corella was by Giselle’s death.

Susan Jones was extremely moving as Giselle’s mother. She was like a real mother, not some corps member made up to look older. And her relationship with Giselle was very close and loving.

I agree with Andres that Isaac Stappas was “suitably slimy and frightening as Hilarion.” Danny Tidwell showed great promise in the peasant pas de deux. He’s really had a great season. As his partner, Anna Liceica was really lovely. And finally, the Wilis were just perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever been so involved in a ballet, not since the last time I saw ABT’s “Giselle”.

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In Act II, his double assemble turns and leg beats (what is the correct ballet term for leg beats?) were outstanding.

The two diagonals when he "is pulled" towards Myrtha? Brisés volés.

Thanks, Colleen, for your remarks. I saw the same duo in the Peasant pas in the evening and agree with you. What a smile on that Danny Tidwell! I'll get back to the principals a little later. :wink:

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Somehow, I think she's talking about the double cabrioles to open his Act II variation. I saw the Saturday night show with Kent and Carrenjo. I thought that it was good buty not great for me. The end of Act I was were I found myself a little preoccupied trying to figure out how or why I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. Not to say that I was unmoved, but.......maybe it was a lack of chemistry between Kent and Carrenjo or maybe it was just me. I thought Jesus Pastor was a most excellent Hilarion. And I don't think he's a bad guy or the villian. It's hard to defend Albrect's actions, no matter how you define moral rightousness, when Bathilde asks him "Who is this peasant girl?" and he looks right at Giselle and waves his arm and says "Her, she's nobody" Surely even French peasants knew that wasn't true love.

Act II was better all around I felt. The solos and the pas were great and I loved Michele Wiles as Myrta. Such a pretty dancer and such lovely arms. Some of the Willies were a little off the music on the chugs across the stage but that scene always gives me goosebumps(and everyone else judging from the applause) One thing to mention was Kent's entrance in Act II, talk about some serious RPMs in her spin! She must have turned ten times and the audience was dazzled. She was very lovely in Act II. Very heartbreaking when she leaves him alone on stage at the end.

One quick question for all. Where is the line between Albrecht being "danced to death" and the dancer turning in a dazzling technical variation? Example, Carrenjo does a textbook virtuoso variation and cocludes with a picture-perfect seven revolution pirroutte and then falls to the stage. The audience loved it(and I did too, his pirrouettes are a thing of beauty) but my first thought was that he could do that variation five more times and not breathe hard. My question is, and I'm not sure of the answer myself, do you want to see Erik Bruhn do 32 entracha six and be amazed or do you want to see the charachter Albrecht on the verge of breaking down?

As an afterthought, I don't think Corrnejo is the extreme case. The choreography was pretty restained I thought.

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Back to the Hilarion topic: once he finds out the truth about Albrecht (the sword), is he right or wrong to expose Albrecht for what he really is?

I echo carbro's question: when does Albrecht realize he loves Giselle? Is the whole charade and a romp with a village lass just a game for him and does he know that of course he'll go back to Bathilde?

I think Hilarion is motivated by genuine love for Giselle; his bitterness is a natural result of seeing this dude waltz into town and steal his girl.

As for Albrecht, I think it is remorse - that most poignant of all emotions - that brings him to realize not that he loved Giselle but that she genuinely loved him. And continues to, despite his lies, even after death. I think Giselle's willingness to save him becomes even more moving if we see that she is doing it despite the fact that he most likely was not in love with her but is now wracked with guilt. Then it becomes more an act of forgiveness than of love. Does that make any sense?

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jllaney, I agree with you in that I think I'd rather see Albrecht on the verge of breaking down rather than picture-perfect turns, and then...a thunk. It's what I loved about Bocca's Albrecht- he did 4 or 5 beautiful turns which winded down by the end and he almost started to fall by the last two, exhausted and exasperated.

carbro..I'm looking forward to hearing about Kent and Carreno :wink:

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I think Hilarion is motivated by genuine love for Giselle; his bitterness is a natural result of seeing this dude waltz into town and steal his girl.

As for Albrecht, I think it is remorse - that most poignant of all emotions - that brings him to realize not that he loved Giselle but that she genuinely loved him. And continues to, despite his lies, even after death. I think Giselle's willingness to save him becomes even more moving if we see that she is doing it despite the fact that he most likely was not in love with her but is now wracked with guilt. Then it becomes more an act of forgiveness than of love. Does that make any sense?

This makes perfect sense to me.

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For Gautier, Albrecht was the protagonist, and Hilarion was the villain. In "Beauties of the Opera and the Ballet" Hilarion is referred to as "vile knave." I think that Albrecht became Bad and Hilarion Good in the mid-20th century. I don't know who was the first to play Albrecht as a cad; I think it was one of those things, like Siegfried's problems with his mother, that were in the air during the post-War rethinkings of 19th century productions.

The choreographer, Coralli, was the first Hilarion, by the way, and had 13 mime scenes.

(An interesting Danish footnote. "Giselle" was never popular in Copenhagen -- even today. "La Sylphide" is the great Romantic work, and James the great Romantic hero. "Giselle" remains foreign. It was staged at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen during one of Bournonville's leaves of absence -- I think when he was in Sweden, but I'd have to check. When he came home, he threw it out. I asked Henning Kronstam once if he knew why, and he said, as though they all talked about it 'round the water cooler fairly often, "I heard it was because he didn't like it that the hero was a liar." For Bournonville, a hero couldn't lie.)

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I think Kronstam's comment about Bournonville's reasoning sums up why it doesn't matter how the dancer portrays Albrecht -- no matter how it's sliced, it an old story of an aristocratic man who misrepresents his station to get what he wants. If she doesn't die, he doesn't need to express remorse and receive forgiveness; he lights a few candles and is relieved about his close call. Then she's extremely "lucky" if, like in Edith Wharton's Summer, she survives into a loveless marriage with her guardian.

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She devised such lovely hells for her errant lovers!

Certainly for the women. Did any of the men of her own class suffer? Ethan Frome is the only man I can think of who joined the women in hell. The rest lived, at worst, in purgatory, and most in oblivion.

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Oberon: that sounds almost as much fun as the Giselle production we saw in New Jersey in which an overenthusiastic Hilarion knocked over Giselle's (styrofoam, apparently)tombstone in an excess of grief.

Needless to say, it took some time before we were able to compose ourselves for the remainder of Act II.

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She devised such lovely hells for her errant lovers!

Certainly for the women. Did any of the men of her own class suffer? Ethan Frome is the only man I can think of who joined the women in hell. The rest lived, at worst, in purgatory, and most in oblivion.

Hell! Purgatory! Oblivion! = a perfect Act II

Oberon, in the original "Giselle" Bathilde, Wilfrid and the whole hunting party came in, found Albrecht, and took him home.

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