Press Release: English National Ballet announces casting for Akram Khan's Giselle at Sadler's Wells

[Jan McNulty]

English National Ballet

Akram Khan’s Giselle

Sadler’s Wells, London

Wednesday 18 – Saturday 28th September 2019

www.ballet.org.uk/akram-khan-giselle/

 

Akram Khan’s Giselle returns to the UK for the first time since 2017, following acclaimed international performances in Moscow, Luxembourg and Chicago so far this year.

 

Since its world premiere in 2016, Khan’s reimagined Giselle has been seen live by over 86,000 people through tours to eleven cities, in the UK and internationally. Giselle has also been broadcast in cinemas and on television, reaching an audience of over 160,000 through broadcasts internationally.

 

Now the production is returning to Sadler’s Wells, London, for 13 performances from Wednesday 18th – Saturday 28th September.

 

Akram Khan’s Giselle Principal Casting (in order Giselle, Albrecht and Hilarion)

 

Wednesday 18 September

Tamara Rojo, James Streeter and Jeffrey Cirio

 

Thursday 19 September (mat)

Fernanda Oliveira, Aitor Arrieta and Erik Woolhouse

 

Thursday 19 September

Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley and Ken Saruhashi

 

Friday 20 September

Tamara Rojo, James Streeter and Jeffrey Cirio

 

Saturday 21 September (mat)

Fernanda Oliveira, Aitor Arrieta and Erik Woolhouse

 

Saturday 21 September

Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley and Ken Saruhashi

 

Monday 23 September

Alina Cojocaru, Isaac Hernández and Jeffrey Cirio

 

Tuesday 24 September

Tamara Rojo, James Streeter and Ken Saruhashi

 

Wednesday 25 September

Crystal Costa, Aitor Arrieta and TBC

 

Thursday 26 September

Alina Cojocaru, Isaac Hernández and Jeffrey Cirio

 

Friday 27 September

Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley and Ken Saruhashi

 

Saturday 28 September (mat)

Crystal Costa, Aitor Arrieta and TBC

 

Saturday 28 September

Alina Cojocaru, Isaac Hernández and Jeffrey Cirio

 

-ENDS- 

 

English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England 

 

Notes to Editors

 

About English National Ballet 
English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has played a major role in the growth and history of ballet in the UK. Today, English National Ballet is renowned for taking world-class ballet to the widest possible audience through its national and international tour programme, offsite performances at festivals including Glastonbury and Latitude, its distinguished orchestra English National Ballet Philharmonic, and being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice and delivery, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s. Under the artistic directorship of Tamara Rojo, English National Ballet has gained new acclaim as it introduces innovative new works to the Company’s repertoire while continuing to honour and reinvigorate traditional ballet.
www.ballet.org.uk  

 

About Arts Council England

Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

[Bruce Wall]

Don't want to start a new thread - but interesting to see that ENB will be doing a Khan piece in NY City Center's upcoming Fall for Dance series:-

 

On Program Three, the storied Mariinsky Ballet will dance the American premiere of Alexander Sergeev’s “At the Wrong Time”; the evening’s other troupes are the English National Ballet, performing a work by Akram Khan; Skanes Dansteater of Sweden; and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, presenting a portion of Rennie Harris’s “Lazarus,” which had its premiere last season.

 

Don't glad to see Kim Brandstrup show up doing a piece for two NYCB principals:- 

 

Program Five includes appearances by Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, Monica Bill Barnes & Company and the Martha Graham Dance Company — in Graham’s 1936 work “Chronicle.” But the main draw may be the New York City Ballet stars Taylor Stanleyand Sara Mearns, a Fall for Dance regular, in a world premiere by Kim Brandstrup.

[maryrosesatonapin]

I didn't realise that Tamara Rojo was still dancing.  A 45 year old playing a young virgin.... are there no other suitable dancers at ENB?

[annamicro]

23 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I didn't realise that Tamara Rojo was still dancing.  A 45 year old playing a young virgin.... are there no other suitable dancers at ENB?

A young virgin???

Today Catholics celebrate the Assumption of Mary, but Khan's Giselle is another story.

And Tamara Rojo in an Artist.

[Jan McNulty]

27 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I didn't realise that Tamara Rojo was still dancing.  A 45 year old playing a young virgin.... are there no other suitable dancers at ENB?

 

Having seen several casts in this I believe Tamara Rojo is nonpareil.  In this production you also don't have to imagine that she is a young virgin...

[Rob S]

Wooohoooo thank you for this info, just booked a ticket to see the 45 year old virgin!!!

Edited August 15, 2019 by Rob S

[JNC]

Thanks for the info Jan. 

 

I too have seen Tamara Rojo as Giselle and found her absolutely fantastic - pure emotion and of course, a brilliant dancer. (I also was fortunate enough to see Cesar Corrales, his Hilarion I doubt will be matched and I hope he is able to dance this type of dance at RB, or in my dreams he would make a guest appearance in this again one day!)

 

Surely dancers don't have to fit a particular age to play a role? Look at all the 'old' Juliets (in Shakespeare's play I believe she is around 13), and 'old' Auroras (she is meant to be just turned 16). I'm not sure if Giselle's age is set one way or the other, but I always thought that whilst she was portrayed as 'naive' and childlike in manner, she wasn't as young as Juliet/Aurora, although albeit she would probably have been still in her teens, but more 16-20 rather than the children of Juliet/Aurora. But as Jan says this production is quite different and she is a worker in a factory, so actually it is probably more likely that is in her 20s or older. Regardless, as long as a dancer can portray a character and emotion then age is to some extent irrelevant unless at the extremes. 

 

Anyway for this time, it has just so happened that I've booked for a date Alina Cojocaru is dancing, which I am very pleased by as I loved her Manon and was hoping I would get to see her in this. Clearly the ballet gods have favoured me! I imagine she will play the role quite differently from Rojo but I am immensely looking forward to it. I am also half tempted to book to see Rojo again as she was brilliant! 

[Jan McNulty]

Jeffrey Cirio is also a brilliant Hilarion.  I can't comment on the other 2 dancers as I haven't seen them in the role.

[FionaM]

Yes I’ve booked for Alina’s 38 year old version.  And the Akram Khan Giselle is a woman who has been working in the factory and is pregnant at the start.  So neither young nor a virgin in my understanding.  I’ve heard Alina is fabulous in it.

 

I’ve seen Rojo in this and she is excellent (wish I’d punched the unknowledgeable person behind me who pronounced loudly  ‘who is this rowjoe person’).  It’s a challenging role and does require a mature actress.

[FionaM]

And the Sat 28/9 evening is nearly sold out 

[maryrosesatonapin]

8 minutes ago, JNC said:

Anyway for this time, it has just so happened that I've booked for a date Alina Cojocaru is dancing, which I am very pleased by as I loved her Manon and was hoping I would get to see her in this. Clearly the ballet gods have favoured me! I imagine she will play the role quite differently from Rojo but I am immensely looking forward to it. I am also half tempted to book to see Rojo again as she was brilliant! 

 

I also have tickets for Cojocaru - now I am wishing I'd got some for Rojo, after what Jan and others have said!

[JNC]

2 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

 

I also have tickets for Cojocaru - now I am wishing I'd got some for Rojo, after what Jan and others have said!

 

I would highly recommend. She brings a 'wild' energy and emotion to it, it's really heartbreaking and fantastic to watch. She truly embraces Khan's choreography. 

 

I imagine Cojocaru playing a more naive, sensitive, soul which would break your heart if you see it. Rojo plays it more 'dramatic', heartbroken and devastated, but with power and anger there too. I of course haven't seen Cojocaru dance it so my thoughts on how she'll play it are pure speculation at this point, but I think seeing both Rojo/Cojocaru will bring interesting and different facets to the character, but both will probably leave you truly moved. 

[JNC]

35 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Jeffrey Cirio is also a brilliant Hilarion.  I can't comment on the other 2 dancers as I haven't seen them in the role.

 

I am now remembering I did watch the BBC televised version of this which had Cirio in it (believe it is the same version as the DVD). I did think he was good, but (in my personal opinion) he didn't come close to Corrales, who was on another level. However, I often connect more with a live performance and I did see Corrales live. I do wish Corrales was in the filmed version because his performance was electric, to the point where whilst Rojo was absolutely amazing, Corrales had true star power and was the standout for me when I first saw it. I made of a note of his name for future performances (this was back when I didn't 'follow' ballet as much as I do now so he made a strong impression!) and knew he'd be onto big things, so was not surprised at all when he moved to the Royal Ballet. I am really hoping he can get his teeth into more contemporary ballet at the Royal over the coming year or so. 

 

Overall I feel very lucky with the cast I've got, I hedged my bets as I wanted to get fairly good seats in the price range so booked for the closing night cast in the hope that it would either be Rojo/Cojocaru and lucked out. Nothing against other ENB dancers but I have to admit I'm not that familiar with them and as I like both Rojo/Cojocaru I try and book for their performances if possible/try to guess what dates they will do which is an entirely speculative exercise! 

 

35 minutes ago, FionaE said:

 And the Akram Khan Giselle is a woman who has been working in the factory and is pregnant at the start.

 

Is she? Where does it say this? My understanding was she worked in the factory and obviously Hilarion has his eye on her, but she turns him down in favour of Albrecht - the overarching story therefore being quite similar to the 'original'. I was not aware she was pregnant and also did not get this feeling at all when I watched it a live, and also when it was televised on the BBC. I also don't recall reading anything about her being pregnant? If she is pregnant at the start who is the father, clearly not Hilarion as she pushes him away and is clearly not interested in him, and not Albrecht either as she's not met him yet? I find it hard to believe they would work in a story about her being pregnant but not take this anywhere as it seemingly doesn't add much to the plot and the overall dynamic between Giselle/Hilarion/Albrecht/Bathilde? 

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by JNC

[annamicro]

40 minutes ago, JNC said:

 

I am now remembering I did watch the BBC televised version of this which had Cirio in it (believe it is the same version as the DVD). I did think he was good, but (in my personal opinion) he didn't come close to Corrales, who was on another level. However, I often connect more with a live performance and I did see Corrales live. I do wish Corrales was in the filmed version because his performance was electric, to the point where whilst Rojo was absolutely amazing, Corrales had true star power and was the standout for me when I first saw it. I made of a note of his name for future performances (this was back when I didn't 'follow' ballet as much as I do now so he made a strong impression!) and knew he'd be onto big things, so was not surprised at all when he moved to the Royal Ballet. I am really hoping he can get his teeth into more contemporary ballet at the Royal over the coming year or so. 

 

Overall I feel very lucky with the cast I've got, I hedged my bets as I wanted to get fairly good seats in the price range so booked for the closing night cast in the hope that it would either be Rojo/Cojocaru and lucked out. Nothing against other ENB dancers but I have to admit I'm not that familiar with them and as I like both Rojo/Cojocaru I try and book for their performances if possible/try to guess what dates they will do which is an entirely speculative exercise! 

 

 

Is she? Where does it say this? My understanding was she worked in the factory and obviously Hilarion has his eye on her, but she turns him down in favour of Albrecht - the overarching story therefore being quite similar to the 'original'. I was not aware she was pregnant and also did not get this feeling at all when I watched it a live, and also when it was televised on the BBC. I also don't recall reading anything about her being pregnant? If she is pregnant at the start who is the father, clearly not Hilarion as she pushes him away and is clearly not interested in him, and not Albrecht either as she's not met him yet? I find it hard to believe they would work in a story about her being pregnant but not take this anywhere as it seemingly doesn't add much to the plot and the overall dynamic between Giselle/Hilarion/Albrecht/Bathilde? 

 

Giselle and Albrecht are clearly in a relationship since the beginning (this also in the traditional version) and she put his hand on her womb making clear she is pregnant.

[JNC]

1 minute ago, annamicro said:

Giselle and Albrecht are clearly in a relationship since the beginning (this also in the traditional version) and she put his hand on her womb making clear she is pregnant.

 

Ah ok, clearly I either missed/forgot this or interpreted it completely differently! In my memory I thought they were meeting for the first time and their first scenes/dances together are them falling in love.

 

I do vaguely remember the holding the womb/stomach gesture now it's been mentioned (though could be false memory!) but I think it maybe came later on in which case it would still work for Giselle/Albrecht to have their initial meeting at the beginning of the ballet, and then to fall pregnant off scene? 

 

But happy to stand corrected - will watch closely next time and happy to have different interpretations floating about, think this is often the interesting thing about ballet - different people will have different thoughts on dancers' emotions/motives etc.

 

In the 'original' classical version, are they also already in a relationship? 

[alison]

Of sorts - he's certainly been wooing her.

[annamk]

All the casts are ridiculously tempting but if I could only see one it would have to be Fernanda Oliveira, Aitor Arrieta and Erik Woolhouse. IMO Arrieta has a very special quality; he had great chemistry with Oliveira when he stepped in to replace an injured Fernando Bufala, of real interest too is Erik Woolhouse (winner of YBDY 2014) as Hilarion.  

[FionaM]

3 hours ago, annamicro said:

Giselle and Albrecht are clearly in a relationship since the beginning (this also in the traditional version) and she put his hand on her womb making clear she is pregnant.

 

Yes this is what I saw.  And also read somewhere (might have been a review from Moscow performances).

Edited August 15, 2019 by FionaE
Typo (as ever!)

[capybara]

Both Ken Saruhashi and Erik Woolhouse are tremendous Hilarions.

It's good that new dancers are gradually being introduced into the key male roles (Joseph Caley as Albrecht as well as Erik) but, apart from Erina Takahashi, who danced it on return from maternity leave, all the Giselles have been around from the beginning. They are all exceptionally good, but an obvious candidate for the future is surely Katja Kaniukova who has recently been promoted to First Soloist.

[Candleque]

10 hours ago, annamk said:

IMO Arrieta has a very special quality

Totally agree. I saw him co-win Emerging Dancer in 2017 with Rina Kanehara and have been following since. Great to see him get this role.
(Just wish ENB would announce casting sooner...)

[alison]

Perhaps they've had a lot on their plate, with the move and all?

[fromthebalcony]

I was lucky enough to see several casts of this and I loved Streeter/Rojo/Cirio. Really amazing chemistry. I would love to see Khaniukova get a chance at this Giselle, as well. It would wonderful to see her paired with Cirio as her Albrecht, as they danced the traditional Giselle earlier this year together in Ukraine, and the pictures on her Facebook page look amazing. She also shared this video. She really is beautiful, and it appears they have good chemistry together. Wish I could be in London this fall to see Akram’s Giselle again. https://vogue.ua/article/culture/teatr/ekaterina-hanyukova-i-dzheffri-sirio-o-rabote-nad-baletom-zhizel.html

[yvonnep]

On 15/08/2019 at 16:49, JNC said:

 

Ah ok, clearly I either missed/forgot this or interpreted it completely differently! In my memory I thought they were meeting for the first time and their first scenes/dances together are them falling in love.

 

I do vaguely remember the holding the womb/stomach gesture now it's been mentioned (though could be false memory!) but I think it maybe came later on in which case it would still work for Giselle/Albrecht to have their initial meeting at the beginning of the ballet, and then to fall pregnant off scene? 

 

But happy to stand corrected - will watch closely next time and happy to have different interpretations floating about, think this is often the interesting thing about ballet - different people will have different thoughts on dancers' emotions/motives etc.

 

In the 'original' classical version, are they also already in a relationship? 

In the Khan version, she was pregnant from the beginning. Their first meeting in the ballet was she trying to tell him about it but not being able to. Khan explained it when the company performed that scene in NYC.