The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s current production of Giselle dates from 2012 and was originally staged by then Artistic Director, Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg, formerly a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet in London.  The production toured to critical acclaim in Europe in 2015 and was last revived in 2016.  It is a dramatically cogent staging with attractive sets by Howard Jones that evoke the Rhineland setting of the story and costumes by Natalia Stewart that place the ballet at the time it was first performed in Paris in 1841.  Giselle, along with the slightly earlier La Sylphide, has been part of the standard ballet repertoire ever since and one reason for its survival is that, in spite of the improbability of some aspects of the story, it conveys fundamental truths about the human condition. 

The ballet tells the story of the peasant girl Giselle who innocently falls in love with Albrecht, an aristocrat disguised as a commoner.  On discovering her lover is actually betrothed to another member of his own class, Giselle becomes distraught and dies of a broken heart only to return to haunt her lover as one of the wilis who come to life each night and dance in the forest.  On the face of it, this is a conventional Romantic story. However, Giselle resists the commands of Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis, to lead Albrecht in a dance to his death; when dawn breaks the wilis disappear with the mist but a changed Albrecht survives.  Although she has suffered a great wrong Giselle’s forgiveness of Albrecht makes the ballet as relevant today as it was when it was first staged.  The 1840s was a period of great social unrest in Europe and it ended with the bloody suppression of popular uprisings in the streets of Paris and other cities in 1848.  A story about the fatal betrayal of a peasant girl by a self-serving aristocrat was as subversive then as Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro had beenwhen it was first performed in 1786, just three years before the French Revolution.

The current revival is staged by Clytie Campbell, a cast member in both the original production and its subsequent revivals, with video-link oversight from Ethan Stiefel.  The challenges of reviving a production under these circumstances must have been considerable and this shows, especially in the first act, from the tentativeness of the initial encounters between Giselle and Albrecht to its climax where she looses both her reason and her life.  If Albrecht’s attraction to a peasant girl is to be credible she must appear to be a natural aristocrat of the people but Katherine Skelton is too self-effacing a dancer to project this quality effectively. When dancing with the girls of the village she blends with the ensemble rather than stand out from it. The mad scene, which should be truly shocking in its impact, simply doesn’t fire. Kihiro Kusukami also seems tentative as Albrecht and projects none of the aristocratic confidence that the role demands. It was left to Paul Matthews as Hilarion, Giselle’s rejected suitor from the village, to inject dramatic urgency into the proceedings. The spirited dancing of Kate Kadow and Shaun James Kelly as the wedding couple reinforces the message of the happiness that ensues when social boundaries are not transgressed.  

It would have been a mistake, however, to have left at the interval as the second act possesses the dramatic intensity that is so clearly missing in the first.  As Myrtha Ana Gallardo Lobaina dances strongly and projects the implacable quality that is an essential characteristic of the vengeful Queen of the Wilis.  The well-drilled corps de ballet provides her with resolute support.  As her ghostly self, Katherine Skelton is much more at home, capturing the ethereal quality of Giselle as well as her generosity of spirit. Kusukami also relishes the opportunities the act provides to demonstrate his strong technique as he is pushed ever further towards exhaustion by the relentless demands of the Wilis.   The atmospheric lighting design of Kendal Smith also contributes to the dramatic impact of this act. 

One innovation of Stiefel and Kobborg’s production is the framing of the action by the presence of Albrecht as an older and hopefully wiser man.  What seemed novel when introduced nine years ago now appears superfluous and the new scene they added at the end, in which the Wilis finally have their revenge on the dying Albrecht, seems to contradict the central message of the ballet. 

In the pit the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hamish McKeich, gives a polished performance of Adolf Adam’s score, admirably supporting the action on stage.   A near capacity audience responded enthusiastically at the end.

As a gesture of respect to the former long-serving chairperson of the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s trust board, Bill Sheat, who died earlier this year, this season of Giselle is dedicated to his memory.  It is a fitting tribute to a man who gave life-long service to the arts.

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer

“Ballets are the dreams of poets taken seriously” said the original creator of the Giselle story, Théophile Gautier and in his creation, it is the dream-like Act II that lies at the heart of the romantic ballet. Peopled by the ghosts of women who have died broken-hearted, the Wilis – the “unquiet spirits of jilted brides”, it is a glorious paean to the redemptive power of love. The stridency of a revenge culture is defeated by the innocence and unquestioning love of the heroine, Giselle.

In the Royal New Zealand Ballet version of this much-loved ballet, first choreographed for the company in 2012 by former Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel together with Danish choreographer Johan Kobborg, the work references the 19^th and early 20^th Century versions made by French choreographer, Marius Petipa, with several innovations. It is recreated for this season by ballet-mistress, Clytie Campbell together with online input from Stiefel. The season is dedicated to lawyer Bill Sheat, former chair of the RNZB Board and long-time patron of the arts, who did so much for the company over the years

Mayu Tanigaito’s interpretation of Giselle is particularly moving in Act II. Her ability to appear fragile and weightless as a neophyte Wili is her strength, together with her beautiful extensions and a wilting grace. Tanigaito performs the iconic adage sequence with a powerful technique that belies her delicate persona. She is ably partnered by Laurynas Vėjalis as Albrecht. who manages the transition from dilettante aristocrat in Act I, to the guilt-stricken  and bereft lover of Act II with assurance.  His entrechat-six sequence is effortless. The pas-de-deux between the two, in both Act I and II are beautifully placed and Tanigaito’s “mad scene” in Act I is less histrionic than most, as she struggles to comprehend the possibility of the deceit that has been perpetrated.

RNZB stalwart Paul Mathews performs Hilarion, the rejected suitor of Giselle, with a strong characterisation. Not devious so much as bewildered, that Giselle could love someone other than himself and determined to win her back, by fair means or foul. His solo in Act I where he and Albrecht are showing off, is a delight.

As Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis, Sara Garbowski performs with hauteur and a steely resolve. The corps of Wilis  together with lead dancers Ana Gallardo as Moyna and Katherine Minor as Zulma are an imposing presence: implacable as they refuse to yield, yet still soft and wraithlike in their bearing.

The corps in Act I are a joyful crowd and Katherine Skelton and Kihiro Kusukami are charming as the wedding couple. Stiefel and Kobborg have choreographed some lovely sequences for the peasants which they perform with elan. Giselle’s mother Berthe, danced by Kirby Selchow shows real anguish at the death of her daughter.  

The scenic design by Howard C. Jones is unusual but highly effective, with the unwieldy, rambling roots of the fallen “tree of life” creating an ominous and disturbing background for the darker elements of the story.  Kendall Smith the lighting designer, generates the shadowy world of the Wili’s with subtle shifting lighting effects but lights Act I in an altogether brighter spectrum. Natalia Stewart has designed some gorgeous costumes – particularly the brilliant yellow of Giselle’s skirt offset by the autumnal, russet-coloured hues of the peasants and the sombre formal attire of the aristocrats.

The Auckland Philharmonia under the baton of Hamish McKeich gives a spirited performance of Adolphe Adam’s score, building to a moment of passion as Giselle stands stock-still at the end of Act I with her head buried in her hands.

Giselle remains the firm favourite of many ballet aficionados and this version shows the company in the best possible light. The auditorium was packed and the applause was genuine and prolonged

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer

The Royal New Zealand Ballet presented a superb Giselle to a full and very enthusiastic audience at the beautiful Palmerston North Regent Theatre.

This is an old 1840’s, classic and internationally well-known ballet, produced time and time again by ballet companies around the world. This version is a superb production as it has depth, allowing the audience involvement at every level, from the symbolic to the dramatic – following the stories of love and loss, beauty and grace, and betrayal on both personal and social class levels – an exciting and beautiful ballet.

The strength of this Giselle is its tight and well-presented narrative. The classic story is woven very carefully and consistently throughout the ballet, with some additions that add strength to the narrative and make it very accessible to a modern audience.

Motifs are cleverly used to keep the narrative tight. For example the petal pulling “does he love me, does he love me not” daisy motif is made more use of in this ballet. Petals fall from the tree of life and Albrecht brings the daisy to the grave. From initial doubt it becomes the symbol of his enduring love.

The main characters keep up a continuous story thread as the drama unfolds, the full ramifications of a love between two people of different class is clearly presented, creating suspense for the audience – there will be tears before bed. All corps de ballet work is well integrated in energy and pace. There is never that moment, that I have seen in other productions of Giselle, by different companies, where you wish they would just get on with the story because the narrative is “interrupted” by some of the dancing rather than it being consistent with and enhancing the narrative.

There are some nice innovations in this production. The ballet begins with the tree of life projected large on the front screen, petals fall and soon the tree sinks down to the dark gloomy roots. There is the older Albrecht (Paul Mathews ) agonising about the wreck of it all and the loss of his true love. Then the story unfolds.

This is a remarkable production in many ways. It is staged by Ballet Master Clytie Campbell, who performed solo and principal roles in the 2012 production of Giselle and later revivals. She received oversight, at a “Covid” distance, from Ethan Stiefel (former Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet)  and Johan Kobborg, who were unable to travel to New Zealand. It is a credit to Campbell and the entire company that such an exquisite production was produced in these unusual circumstances.

Principal Kate Kadow is a beautiful Giselle; light, delicate, and assured in all her technical work. She is totally in character and lives and breathes the young innocent village girl, with a special gift for dance, who is in love with this handsome stranger. Her “mad-scene” is excellent and her Wili is a delicate but strong contrast to the coldness of the abandoned and vengeful ghost women in Act two.  Bravo Kate.

Joseph Skelton is a perfect partner to Kadow and is consistent in his growing attraction and eventual true love for Giselle. It is a difficult part because it comes with the complicated realisation of the ramifications of crossing the class barriers. Albrecht should know better, while Giselle is an innocent. He portrays the sustained grief and love for Giselle consistently and well in Act Two. Skelton’s elevation and battery work, particularly in Act Two is excellent.

All supporting principals and soloists are also excellent. Edward Smith plays Hilarion well; the psychological torture of his predicament consistently acted and his dancing assured. Kirby Selchow as Berthe, Giselle’s widowed mother, portrays the character dramatically and clearly, you can almost hear her say “stay away from my daughter, nothing good will come of this”.  The grand aristocratic Lady Bathilde (Sara Garbowski) and the pompous Duke of Courland (Christian Renforth) are the perfect foils and beautifully attired. The true love wedding couple, performed ably by Katherine Minor and Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson, were also excellent contrasting characters to the complicated love tangle of Giselle, Albrecht and Hilarion.

Ana Gallardo Lobaina is a cold Myrtha. She and the corps of Wilis are a strong dramatic contrast to Giselle’s entreaties for lenience.

Praise must also go to the corps de ballet. In the first act their timing, cohesion, elevation and lightness is accomplished and wonderful. Their excellent acting contributed strongly to the mounting tension from the complicated relationships developing towards the end of Act One. In Act Two the Wilis are excellent in the portrayal of their dramatic intent and also in the execution of this precision-required classic choreography. Bravo corps!

The production is brought fully together by beautiful costuming designed by Natalia Stewart. There is wonderful attention to detail and everything is perfect. Lighting design (Kendall Smith) and scenic design (Howard C Jones) work wonderfully to provide a conceptual whole.

In addition to the ballet, the programme is beautifully presented and is a wonderful reference for the ballet as well as providing all the plot information that the audience could want.

Hearty congratulations to the Royal New Zealand Ballet for this production.

Next performances are Napier, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

_______________________________

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer

The Wellington Orchestra under the baton of Hamish McKeich relishes the beautiful score by Adolph Adam and supports this evening’s performance with sensitivity and assurance. Musical motifs connected to the characters are introduced and interwoven within the score. The daisy petals of “he loves me – loves me not” are referenced beautifully and the actual daisy is also threaded visually into the story.

The tree of life on the curtain fades and the lone elderly figure of Albrecht reminisces on his actions years earlier. We are drawn into our own personal memories and for me this suddenly means the opening night in 2012 of this Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobberg co-production. An emotive and evocative positioning of a new focus for one of the greatest and most revered classics of ballet, the production featured a magical partnering of Gillian Murphy and Qi Huan. This time the ballet is staged by Clytie Campbell and all credit must go to her.

Assured, poignant, technically secure and mysterious this is a story of love found, love lost, love betrayed and yet that hope that defies humanity is found and a life is saved – by love. A universal plot and timeless in its ability to find personal and emotional response. Cleverly this telling leaves us with a dark unease and the harsh reality that memory can be hard. 

The evening belongs to Giselle and her Albecht.  Mayu Tanigaito in the title role is utterly exquisite – her ballon and fragility as a joyous, fragile, young, love – struck girl in the opening scenes changing in Act 2 to an ethereal, transparent and heartbroken wraith floating to join the mysterious Willis in a misty forest graveyard.

Laurynas Vejalis as her Albrecht is noble, tormented and dances superbly. His controlled elevation, a wonderful breadth in his sauts de basques and soaring entrechat six are outstanding. The Act 2 Pas de Deux  is  a highlight, danced with  effortless control and line that totally transports us. There is a real chemistry between them and the opening night audience draws palpable intakes of breath as this romantic plot of deception, betrayal mystery, cruelty and unrequited passion unfolds.

This is a story of loss on many levels. The consequence of action or the lack of it unsettle us as much today as in 1841 when this timeless classical ballet first appeared. This story still resonates. 

Kendall Smith’s lighting and Howard C Jones’ set  transport us and provide  escapism and romanticism.

The Corps de Ballet are contained and haunting as the vengeful Wilis and equally able as the carefree young villagers and friends at a village wedding. There is good technical clarity, strong backs and beautiful arabesques but a tendency to lose the lyrical quality of the port de bras and to race the music needs care.

Hilarion (Paul Mathews) is secure as the jilted suitor of Giselle as he competes  in  a dance – off of enchainment with Albrecht. This is a key character linking the village and the nobility. It is a jealous Hilarion who produces the sword and horn that uncover Albrecht’s duplicity. This betrayal drives Giselle to her tragic death. A grieving Hilarion is discovered in the forest and forced to dance to his death by the Wilis.

As Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, Sara Garbowski was a strong if rather brittle commander. The tension in her ports de bras is  a sharp contrast to the delicacy of her  spirit cohort.

Giselle is a touchstone ballet that requires faultless control and virtuosity while telling a poignant and tragic story. The Royal New Zealand Ballet delivers a special production and it is a credit to all involved. As the Tree of Life curtain falls the audience are on their feet for both the Orchestra and the Ballet.  Much of Petipa’s original choreography survives and still challenges both us and the dancers.

As the final bells toll we know we have witnessed a rare treat. Again Giselle the ballet triumphs.  

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer

Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg’s production of Giselle premiered in 2012, and has become a signature work for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, supported by the beautiful 2013 feature film Giselle directed by New Zealander Toa Fraser. The production is richly realised, refined with impeccable taste, and embodies the centuries-old magic of classical ballet in absolute escapist magnificence.

The impeccable Royal New Zealand Ballet Principal Mayu Tanigaito (returning to the stage for the first time following knee surgery and a year-long recovery) in the title role of Giselle is essentially flawless. She seamlessly blends virtuosic athleticism, physical sensitivity, boundless energy and discipline, with detailed, considered, authentic artistry; an actor with a commitment to her artform at the very highest level. The Wellington audience on opening night responded to Tanigaito’s first entrance to the stage with generous applause; a rare gesture indeed for a notoriously conservative New Zealand audience.

Tanigaito is partnered superbly by recently-promoted Principal Laurynas Vėjalis as Albrecht. The Stiefel/Kobborg production has deliberately refined, expanded, and breathed life and dimension into the male and corps characters of Giselle, so Vėjalis’ Albrecht is both nuanced and warm. [More]
_______________________________

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer

Anyone who has had their heart broken can relate to the themes in Giselle, one of the great classical ballets. It is an intriguing tale of love; its capacity to destroy and to redeem through forgiveness.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet presents the third iteration of this tremendous production, choreographed by Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg. Orchestra Wellington under the baton of Hamish McKeich play the whimsical themes of the score with great sensitivity.

Mayu Tanigaito​ and Laurynas Vėjalis​ are utterly compelling in their portrayals of Giselle and Albrecht. Act One is cheerful with exuberant dancing. It is a world of naive sweetness and bucolic bliss, where marriage and true love are cause for celebration.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/stage-and-theatre/125102740/giselle-leads-utterly-compelling-in-riveting-romantic-performance

_______________________________

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer