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2016-17 Season


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2016-17 season announcement:

http://blog.ballet.org.uk/201617-season-autumn-spring-announcement/?utm_source=Sign-Up.to&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=16158-325663-2016%2F17+SEASON+ANNOUNCEMENT+%5BGeneral%5D

The press release is inaccurate at one point when it says that English National Ballet will be only the second company to perform Pina Bausch's Rite of Spring. Tamara Rojo gets it right (rite? -- bwahaha) when she says that English National Ballet will be the second ballet company to perform it (the first being the Paris Opera Ballet.)

And they'll be performing two different versions of Giselle.

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Looks that way although the press release does reference 'Summer 2017' at the end.

I wonder how "up" English National Ballet's audience is for Pina Bausch and a contemporary Giselle.

The Akram Khan production of Giselle premieres in Manchester in September. It is already selling well there. I think this is partly because of Khan's reputation and partly because it is a co-commission with the Manchester International Festival, which attracts an audience in its own right.

As a matter of interest, last time I saw the Skeaping Giselle in Liverpool and Manchester the audiences were poor to say the least. This was a tragedy because it is a beautiful production and we saw some terrific performances.

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As a matter of interest, last time I saw the Skeaping Giselle in Liverpool and Manchester the audiences were poor to say the least. This was a tragedy because it is a beautiful production and we saw some terrific performances.

I'm sorry to hear that (about the audience) -- from what I know of it, it is indeed a lovely production, and before the recent discoveries in notation and other texts, one of the closest to the original choreography that we had.

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I saw three performances in Manchester (before Madison Keeler made her debut) and was blown away by the production!

 

The scenario places the production in a camp of migrant workers who have lost their jobs in a nearby factory and who dance to entertain The Landlords.  Albrecht is of the Landlord class; Hilarion is of the migrant class but seems to be some sort of wheeler dealer known to The Landlords.

 

Act 2 is set in the derelict factory.

 

When you read the scenario it is not far away from a traditional Giselle, apart from the setting.  The setting is dark, there is a huge moving wall at the back that separates the migrants from The Landlords.  The costumes are in earthy colours - simple dresses for the ladies that show of the swirling movements of the choreography beautifully.  The men wear what almost look like salwar kameez.

 

There are some great group dances in Act 1 and plenty of opportunity for Albrecht, Giselle and Hilarion to carve out their characters.  There is a beautiful duet for Albrecht and Giselle.  You don't really see Giselle's death after her mad scene.  The group are swirling around her and as they move gradually off the stage you see Hilarion cradling her body.

 

The Wilis are on point in Act 2, which is quite surreal and scary.  At one point you see them telling Hilarion why he is being killed.

 

The performances I saw were tremendous with all the company giving total commitment to the piece.  It is not a traditional Giselle by any stretch of the imagination but it is visually stunning with a wonderful new score.  I know people who absolutely loathed it and people like me who absolutely loved it.

 

 

 

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