Manhattnik Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 I was thinking it might be fun to start a topic on "Giselle from Hell." You're an up-and-coming choreographer/artistic-director. You have a big ballet company, all the stars at in the world at your disposal, a huge budget, a desire to impress the world with your vast imagination and innovation. And no taste at all. How would you reset Giselle to show off your special talents? Don't feel constrained to use the Adam score. Change the period and location at will. Who needs a conventional male/female romance. I'd say you could make Hilarion the hero of the ballet, but Vasiliev's done that already. (Anyone ever notice how in some productions it's the very cross that Hilarion ties together in the beginning of Act II which later saves Albrecht?) Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 well you could give albrecht a jester that follows him around..... Link to comment
cargill Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 I'm afraid every idea I can come up with has already been used! Giselle in an insane asylum, Giselle in a concentration camp, Giselle in the 20's. Even a gender switch with male wilis isn't a new idea. I guess like all those opera and theater directors who dress every army as WWII soldiers, I am completely at a loss for new ideas. But what about a lesbian Giselle who runs off with Bathilde? Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 or you could have albrecht change his mind and propose to myrtha, and see if that made her relent on making him dance to death... Link to comment
Siren Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 Giselle choreographed by David Bintley a la Edward II! Now that gives me the wilis.... Link to comment
Drew Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 Cargill -- lesbian or not, I think a Giselle in which the two wronged women decide, 'who needs this jerk?' and then run off together sounds just fine...Think -- Thelma and Louise on pointe. Link to comment
Manhattnik Posted February 23, 2001 Author Share Posted February 23, 2001 Then Albrecht returns, teary-eyed, to Wilfred.... Link to comment
Siren Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 I love it, Thelma and Louise on point! Great! Also, the Nuryeve version: all Giselle variations are taken out and replaced with Albrecht versions... Albrecht gets the bouquet during the village festival. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 I hope you all are proud of yourselves. You have just defined the next decade I always liked the Trocks version -- throwing Hilarion (who they call "Hans") in the orchestra pit and batting him over the heat with their little silver shovels. And at the part where Albrecht begs for his life, and usually Giselle echoes it, in the Trocks version, she turns to him and shrugs her shoulders -- then dances happily off, glad to be free of her shroud. I had thought of a lesbian version as well -- I really think it's the only angle no one has thought of yet, and I shudder to think of the next 20 years being lesbian rethinks of the classics. I hadn't thought of Bathilde and Giselle as being the leading couple, though, but, like Drew, Myrtha and Giselle. Perhaps we could blend the two. Bathilde turns out to be a ghostly manifestation of Myrtha, who's done this simply to get Giselle, kill her, and have her for all eternity. Of course that would leave Albrecht free to run off with Wilfrid. Fair is fair. Link to comment
BalletNut Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 With respect to the score, I'd set it to 80s music--how perfect is "Total Eclipse of the Heart" All of the dancers would wear sequined spandex, and those pointe-sneakers in lieu of pointe shoes. [This message has been edited by BalletNut (edited February 23, 2001).] Link to comment
CygneDanois Posted February 24, 2001 Share Posted February 24, 2001 How about a bisexual Giselle who is torn between Albrecht (male) and Hilary (female)? As for lesbians, well, there are those two demi-soloist wilis in the second act. Alexandra's idea of Bathilde and Myrtha being the same person works well. But why don't we set it in Spanish Harlem and choreograph to Ricky Martin and Santana? The royal court could be Giuliani and his officials. "Gisela" likes to go clubbing, but "Bertrada" her mother, says all those drugs aren't good for her, and if she keeps taking them, she'll eventually be sent to rehab. One night at the club, Gisela sees "Alberto" with "Batilda," New York City royalty, and overdoses. Gets sent to rehab. Alberto visits her there and tries to get her out, but he is clearly high, and the nurses try desperately to keep him in, too. However, he threatens to take legal action, and they must relent. He leaves, and tries to take comfort in the fact that the relapse rate for people in such situations as Gisela is ridiculously high. Wow. I can't believe that trashiness came out of my own head. I'll have to appoint a " Balletic Integrity Police" for myself if I'm ever an AD . ------------------ CygneDanois Link to comment
Alexandra Posted February 24, 2001 Share Posted February 24, 2001 Originally posted by CygneDanois:Wow. I can't believe that trashiness came out of my own head. I'll have to appoint a " Balletic Integrity Police" for myself if I'm ever an AD . I could organize a volunteer brigade should the occasion arise, CyD Actually, yours is the most stageworthy. I'm not happy writing that, but truth is truth. You could get that version produced next spring. Link to comment
CygneDanois Posted February 24, 2001 Share Posted February 24, 2001 Alexandra, that may be quite simply the most frightening thing I have heard in years. Note to all ADs who may be reading the board: Do not, repeat, DO NOT look at this thread as inspiration . ------------------ CygneDanois Link to comment
Yvonne Posted February 24, 2001 Share Posted February 24, 2001 Regarding the Nureyev version, I think maybe he will keep ALL of Giselle's variations in, but have Albrecht dance those too (in drag), in addition to his own! Link to comment
mbjerk Posted February 24, 2001 Share Posted February 24, 2001 Can I forward the idea to Jerry Springer? Sounds like a prime time special for UPN during sweeps week. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted February 24, 2001 Share Posted February 24, 2001 Albrechts who cross-dress, and the wronged peasant girls who love them -- next Sally Or should someone just go ahead and make a Giselle (new score, please) from Bathilde's point of view??? One of Peter Anastos's great little ballets was the evergreen tale of a society maiden kidnapped by gypsies and brought back to camp -- and the Queen of the Gypsies was not one little bit pleased about it, let me tell you. Link to comment
Siren Posted February 25, 2001 Share Posted February 25, 2001 Wow, these have been some interesting posts. And a lot of fun to read! This definitely qualifies under "anything goes"... Link to comment
salzberg Posted February 26, 2001 Share Posted February 26, 2001 I suppose one could have the Wilis appearing in an elevator. . . . Link to comment
BalletNut Posted February 26, 2001 Share Posted February 26, 2001 How about a helicopter? [it worked for Miss Saigon] Link to comment
leibling Posted February 26, 2001 Share Posted February 26, 2001 or Wilis on Wall St. ... Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted February 26, 2001 Share Posted February 26, 2001 Anybody remember "Giselle's Revenge" by Myra Kinch in the 1960s? Link to comment
Giannina Posted February 26, 2001 Share Posted February 26, 2001 I'm getting the willies reading all this! Giannina Link to comment
cargill Posted February 27, 2001 Share Posted February 27, 2001 I don't know if this qualifies for Manhatnik's original question, but I have always wondered what Moyna and Zulma's stories were, much less Myrtha's. The do have names, and so should have stories. In one of the original versions, weren't they in some sort of a folk costume--oriental? Maybe one escaped from a harem. Lots of ballet potential there. You could have a Pasha, and slave dealers and maybe some pirates--well I guess I still don't have an original idea! Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted February 27, 2001 Share Posted February 27, 2001 This is about 50 years outdated, but we really ought to do the Amateur Freudian Giselle, where we find out that Myrtha is actually Albrecht's mother. Berthe gets her own huge variation (with lots of crossing motions) and the Duke of Courland even gets in the act with an implied incestuous relationship with Bathilde. He also casts lustful eyes at Giselle, of course, for another gratuitous sex triangle and to give Myrtha and Albrecht a motivation. It ain't a story without a Freudian motivation, doncha know. . . We still use the Adam score, but resampled with bits of musique concrete and rap for relevance. ------------------ Leigh Witchel - dae@panix.com Personal Page and Dance Writing Dance as Ever Link to comment
Manhattnik Posted February 27, 2001 Author Share Posted February 27, 2001 Cargill, didn't Berman's lost, lamented costumes for Giselle have each of the Wilis in her own "national" folk-dance attire? Link to comment
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