United Ukrainian Ballet Giselle by Alexei Ratmansky- Netherlands tour various venues, August 2022 and London Coliseum season 13-17 September 2022

[Dawnstar]

14 hours ago, alison said:

Oh, and can someone please tell Alastair Macauley that the Act II set is not from BRB's Giselle production?  I must admit, I wouldn't have recognised where it was from if I hadn't already known, but BRB's set would have been really unsuitable for this production.

 

May I ask what BRB's second act Giselle set is like & why it'd be unsuitable? Given their first act set seems pretty standard for Giselle, I'd be surprised if they'd gone all regietheater & set Act II sonewhere completely different than in a clearing in forest!

[Sim]

29 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

May I ask what BRB's second act Giselle set is like & why it'd be unsuitable? Given their first act set seems pretty standard for Giselle, I'd be surprised if they'd gone all regietheater & set Act II sonewhere completely different than in a clearing in forest!

BRB's current set for Act 2 of Giselle is probably the most stunning I have ever seen.  It's an old abbey/church, in partial ruins.  The first time I saw it I was blown away.  

[Emeralds]

12 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

May I ask what BRB's second act Giselle set is like & why it'd be unsuitable? Given their first act set seems pretty standard for Giselle, I'd be surprised if they'd gone all regietheater & set Act II sonewhere completely different than in a clearing in forest!

If you have a look on the BRB website (brb.org) and go to search and type in The Dream and Giselle....the gallery photos show that the set for The Dream looks closer to what Alexei Ratmansky wants. The BRB set places Giselle’s grave outside the ruins of a gothic church which isn’t in keeping with the original libretto- Giselle is buried in a forest away from church grounds/cemeteries, but a cross with her name is placed on it by her mother and the villagers as some basic form of protection or blessing for Giselle. It looks like they used the BRB cross that Giselle tells Albrecht to stand close to for protection. If I understood Ratmansky correctly, he and his team got another grassy mound made for Giselle to lie down on and disappear into? 

[Sim]

6 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

 If I understood Ratmansky correctly, he and his team got another grassy mound made for Giselle to lie down on and disappear into? 

Yes, it is opposite her own grave and looks like one that hasn't been occupied yet.  I am not sure what the significance is of laying her on this one instead of her own...she does disappear into it so I didn't quite get why she isn't put back into the grave marked by the cross and her name.

[Emeralds]

32 minutes ago, capybara said:

Graham Watts has given Shevchenko as Giselle for last night and Kaniukova has personally told people that she is not dancing.

Such a shame for her ……

I agree, at an emotional/sentimental level it would have been apt and thrilling for Katja to “bring home” the UUB Giselle to her “main base” of London where ENB is based- especially the Coliseum, where she’s enjoyed so many artistic triumphs in the winter seasons (eg Medora, Gulnare, Clara, Lescaut’s Mistress, Henriette, etc) and has a loyal following. But she can be very proud of the good work she did with the production during the Netherlands tour.

 

(And I hope they can bring it to Canada, the USA, Ireland, France ...where there is a lot of support for them and sympathy for their plight- so many people I know there who want to support them and to see their production). 

[suel50]

In the programme it says that the set and costumes were borrowed from BRB and Hayden Griffin and Peter Farmer are credited.  
 

 

 

[Sim]

2 minutes ago, suel50 said:

In the programme it says that the set and costumes were borrowed from BRB and Hayden Griffin and Peter Farmer are credited.  
 

 

 

Yes it does indeed...but clearly the Act 2 set used by UUB is not the current BRB Act 2 set.  Perhaps it's from a previous production?

[bangorballetboy]

3 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Thank you to everyone who posted their travel experiences! By the way the BBC “Queue Tracker” for those waiting to attend the lying in state shows that the queue is so long (over 12 hour wait) that it starts somewhere out east, a long way from the Coliseum! (The queue began at Canary Wharf at one point.) So paradoxically it may have no effect on getting to Giselle, but members whose journey starts out east of Tower Bridge might have to be prepared for some crowds.

 

Canary Wharf is on the wrong side of the river...

[Jane S]

18 minutes ago, Sim said:

Yes, it is opposite her own grave and looks like one that hasn't been occupied yet.  I am not sure what the significance is of laying her on this one instead of her own...she does disappear into it so I didn't quite get why she isn't put back into the grave marked by the cross and her name.

One of the RB's Giselles - a Peter Wright one perhaps? - used to end like that but they took it out quite soon, reportedly because nobody understood it. I've forgotten what it was supposed to signify - maybe someone else remembers?

[bridiem]

21 minutes ago, Sim said:

Yes, it is opposite her own grave and looks like one that hasn't been occupied yet.  I am not sure what the significance is of laying her on this one instead of her own...she does disappear into it so I didn't quite get why she isn't put back into the grave marked by the cross and her name.

 

I assumed at the time that the new grave into which she completely disappears showed that she's now resting at peace free from any Wili-power that had been able to draw her out of her old one. But I hope that in due course her new grave will get a cross and a name!

[Emeralds]

6 minutes ago, Sim said:

Yes, it is opposite her own grave and looks like one that hasn't been occupied yet.  I am not sure what the significance is of laying her on this one instead of her own...she does disappear into it so I didn't quite get why she isn't put back into the grave marked by the cross and her name.

I once attended a talk years ago abroad given by Jelko Yuresha and Belinda Wright, retired principals of London Festival Ballet (now ENB) about their experiences staging their own version of Giselle and all the history, traditions and interpretations that the ballet had acquired. Giselle is rather like Shakespeare- it is after all a ballerina’s equivalent of Hamlet - in that there is so much to discuss and delve into. I bet we could have a fascinating 3 day conference about Giselle and still not answer all the questions!  

 

It was also noted that Giselle was going to disappear like a lot of Romantic Era ballets or get reworked (like Le Corsaire, Paquita) into classical ballets with the shorter tutus and classical divertissements but Marius Petipa (whose brother had been the first Albrecht) decided he liked it so much that he would mount it in St Petersburg in its original look, with the long tutus and  original libretto and no “dream sequences” or divertissements with extra solos  (aside from adding the Peasant pas de deux).

 

If you ask the non-ballet watching public to name a ballet, the image or name they usually come up with is Swan Lake- or Nutcracker if they listen to a lot of classical music. But if you ask dancers which ballet they love the most, the number one pick is Giselle. It’s the most kindest and most egalitarian ballet - you don’t have to have a certain physique, you can dance it if you are tall or short. There are no “stressful” bits like Rose Adagio balances or Black Swan fouettes. What makes the ballet successful or not is the acting and your efforts- it’s all within your control. 

[Sim]

20 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I assumed at the time that the new grave into which she completely disappears showed that she's now resting at peace free from any Wili-power that had been able to draw her out of her old one. But I hope that in due course her new grave will get a cross and a name!

That makes sense!  Although I've always assumed that after trying to make her a Wili and being deceived by her in that she wouldn't kill a man, that the Queen would not give her a second chance just to risk her saving someone else.  That's what always makes the ending even more unbearable to me...that they both know this is the last time they will see each other; Giselle defied Myrthe so her spirit would not be summoned again, for all of eternity.

[Emeralds]

8 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Canary Wharf is on the wrong side of the river...

I agree- I found that a bit odd. I wondered if they were queueing over a bridge? But I didn’t have time to read more and the page got updated. 

[Emeralds]

15 minutes ago, Sim said:

Yes it does indeed...but clearly the Act 2 set used by UUB is not the current BRB Act 2 set.  Perhaps it's from a previous production?

I think Alexei Ratmansky said that Act 1 uses Griffin’s sets and costumes from the BRB Act 1, Act 2 uses Griffin’s costumes, Farmer’s set for The Dream.....but as The Dream has no cross, the cross looks a lot like the Griffin cross from Act 2. The second mound looks similar to the mound from the cross, but just a little longer with a soft bit and some neat design effect for her to be able to “sink in”. 

 

I think UUB needs an Insight Evening for Giselle like the ROH ones, with tickets sold to raise funds. 😊

 

[Shade]

38 minutes ago, Sim said:

Yes it does indeed...but clearly the Act 2 set used by UUB is not the current BRB Act 2 set.  Perhaps it's from a previous production?

I think in his talk Mr Ratmansky said the set for Act 2 was from The Dream.

[Sim]

1 minute ago, Shade said:

I think in his talk Mr Ratmansky said the set for Act 2 was from The Dream.

Thanks Shade.  Also confirmed above by Emeralds, so you both must be correct.  That explains the disparity....!

 

I haven't had a chance to listen to his interview yet!

[Shade]

The interview was so interesting and I would love to attend an insight about this Giselle production. Shame it could not have been added onto this run but Mr Ratmansky must be very busy. He did say it was an interesting idea if it could be organised. There’s a challenge!

[Candleque]

5 hours ago, Bruce Wall said:

The balcony was closed last night - and I was surprised when I looked at my replacement ticket.  It was the first row - OF THE STALLS

I was in the Dress Circle and felt happy to see it was (mostly) full, but it makes sense it was because they closed the balcony and gave folks the better seats. The night before (Wed/Alina), I was in the stalls. The audience on Thurs night up in the Dress Circle seemed more festive to me and several brought their little kids dressed up for the evening. The crowd chuckled at the special effects and there were even murmurs of humour when poor Hilarion gets tossed to his death — not really in the the mood of spooky Act II, but I personally enjoyed being in that ambiance of enjoyment. Many of the people around me last night were singing along to the Ukrainian anthem at the end. (And some people sang Queen instead of King for the UK anthem 👑.) Both nights were uplifting, in-spite of the reason for the fundraiser or the timing. I do believe in the healing nature of the arts and am so grateful to Alexei Ratmansky and the United Ukrainian Ballet for bringing their Giselle to London. 

[Angela Essex]

19 hours ago, Emeralds said:

By the way, did members who were going to the Wednesday and Thursday performances get held up by a lot of transport delays due to crowds heading to Westminster? 

No not at all. I got off at Holborn on central line Wednesday evening and walked from there as wanted to avoid Leicester Square and charring cross. Was no more busy than normal. 

[alison]

Charing Cross not any more busy than normal tonight, it seemed to me.

[annamk]

A long time since I've seen a performance of Giselle that moved me as much as this evening did.

 

The leads Cojocaru, Trusch and Kovalenko were exceptional. 

 

The production is sublime. It left me questioning whether most of the current productions and the way they're danced have become overly mannered and too athletic/gymnastic. 

 

 

 

 

[Emeralds]

Charing Cross And London Bridge stations are so quiet tonight! The Strand has been completely reopened now and the police have gone. It feels like lots of people have decided to fly abroad for a holiday!

[alison]

Yes, I went home by (admittedly a Cannon Street) train and was barely the only person on it, as far as I could see!

[maryrosesatonapin]

We went to last night's moving performance.  Cojocaru and Trusch had a great on stage partnership and both were delightful. Alina danced like a teenager in the first act and in the second, demonstrated such utter control and sincere acting (as she always does) as well as appearing so ethereal.  I did find Kovalenko's Myrthe pretty rather than commanding and menacing.  I loved that some of the dancers' kids could appear on stage - something they will remember for the rest of their lives.  The peasant dances in the first act seemed particularly well-rehearsed and enjoyable to watch.  I wasn't keen on the ending where it seemed Albert was running straight from mourning Giselle into the arms of Bathilde - it made him seem a bit shallow - although the selflessness of Giselle was believable.

The orchestra were gorgeous-sounding and the audience were very warm in their appreciation.  I got sore hands from clapping and damp cheeks that became positive rivulets during the Ukrainian anthem. I do hope they raised a decent amount to support this worthy cause.

[Shade]

13 hours ago, annamk said:

A long time since I've seen a performance of Giselle that moved me as much as this evening did.

 

The leads Cojocaru, Trusch and Kovalenko were exceptional. 

 

The production is sublime. It left me questioning whether most of the current productions and the way they're danced have become overly mannered and too athletic/gymnastic. 

 

 

 

 

Yes I pondered that too Anna and have watched again the Ratmansky Bolshoi production. That to me has the perfect combination.

[Emeralds]

A friend of a friend who attended the Thursday matinee with Elizaveta Gogidze as Giselle and Tiutiunnykh (who danced Albrecht on the first night) in the leads has said they were brilliant- and she’s been watching lots of companies for several decades. I wish I could catch Gogidze and Oleksii Kniazkov (it will be his debut as Albrecht) in this afternoon’s matinee as she was wonderful as Myrtha, but unfortunately I have a prior commitment that starts shortly. 

 

I was really keen to catch Cojocaru and Trusch last night as they had been magnificent in the Nureyev gala, and Giselle is a role she has a particular affinity for. Funnily enough, although this production is one of the most historically informed and “back to the Romantic Era” versions being performed today, Cojocaru’s Giselle has always been one of the most contemporary and naturalistic interpretations  - she was the first ballerina I ever saw using naturalistic, modern gestures and expressions in a 19th century ballet, eg instead of arms in fifth position or hands in curved pretty mime positions that everyone else did, which was pretty radical in her time. Even a decade before her, when Sylvie Guillem danced Giselle and said she wanted to be naturalistic, like film acting, she didn’t quite go as far. Cojocaru’s interpretation worked, because it was so sincere, fully thought through, that there was conviction in every second she was on stage. So I was rather intrigued as to how her contemporary acting would fit in with this historically informed version. 

 

I think Cojocaru has taken the style of this production and meshed  her own approach with it very well- it’s probably the most “classical”  Giselle I’ve seen her give, and yet there are little nuances that are unmistakably Cojocaru, and she’s ensured that they don’t jar with everyone else being very 1840s. Trusch, for his part, complements both his partner and the Romantic Era style of the production. Although I like to watch and remember  different casts on their merits rather than comparing, if someone were to ask what the differences are, I would say that Shevchenko and Tiutiunnykh on the first night (since Shevchenko was partnered by Olshanskyi on Thursday) were very Romantic Era and brought out the historical touches, whereas Cojocaru and Trusch- Cojocaru especially - while having more modern nuances, were rich in their emotional details. And Cojocaru’s Mad Scene- wow! It’s a thunderbolt. Not histrionic, not exaggerated, but it gets to you. 

 

Technically, Cojocaru dances this role with as much virtuosity as the best dancers half her age. Not really sure what the detractors on Wednesday night were carping about - I suspect they mistook the differences in choreography to be Cojocaru’s decision rather than an artistic decision by the choreographer. Certainly the pirouettes were rock solid, and absolutely no wobbles in the second act balances at the start of the pas de deux, both of which have unsettled even twentysomething and thirtysomething  virtuosos. Trusch too has the technical virtuosity to bring the powerful jumps and neat batterie required in the choreography, but like Cojocaru -and indeed many fellow Hamburg Ballet principals- his technique here is always at the service of the story and the character rather than “look, it’s time for the big showpiece solo now”.

 

Vladyslava Kovalenko was an outstanding Myrtha- light on her feet, ethereal in her movement and yet with a chilling menace. Certainly from our seats a little way up, she looked weightless enough to fly up, light and graceful enough to disarm you into thinking she was pretty and harmless, yet icy and dangerous enough to pull and compel you to dance to your death, like she did to Hilarion. Modern productions often like their Myrthas to look tall, physically powerful and effortful in their jumps and mime- almost like Voldemort in a long tutu - but I think the most menacing villains from the Romantic Era were the spirits that looked wispy and light, yet could sweep you to your death. 

 

I thought the corps de ballet looked even more vivacious and energetic (yet impressively synchronised as almost breathing as one) last night and once again, Novikova, Sprong and Mykhailova were expressive and eloquent in their portrayals of Bathilde, her father, and Giselle’s mother. A video released by the company with the dancers’ ages revealed that in real life, Olena Mykhailova is actually the youngest of the three of them, yet manages to move with the gravitas of an older woman and “speak” the mime passages eloquently without looking like “lamb trying to be mutton”- a task more difficult for younger dancers than for older dancers to portray younger characters. So kudos to them all. 

 

There was also something about the synergy of the ENO Orchestra playing Adam’s score for Act 2 so beautifully and the graceful, neat and ethereal corps in the elegant Hayden Griffin Romantic tutus that made Act 2 more glorious, sad and beautiful than I’ve seen in a long time. It’s not an expensive or flashy production- there is no dry ice, no smoke machine, no lighting/hologram projections, no strobe/lightning effects, and the glorious flying work (very much a proper 19th century hallmark that is thrilling to see restored in Giselle here) is done with simple means from the 1800s- yet the UUB dancers manage to produce a level of poetry so beautiful that it had many of us in my tier in tears or sighs of rapture. 

 

I love what these dancers and Ratmansky, de Jongh, their coaches have done with this ballet and am thrilled they picked London for their first overseas tour. Even the Coliseum dates were a fortuitous coincidence- show producer Paul Godfrey said he heard of a rare last minute cancellation that came up leaving the Coliseum empty and available for one week (hence the ENO Orchestra were also free to perform) and told Ratmansky...so voila, here they are. Ratmansky and  Sprong have also spoken of colleagues and associates being asked to pop in and give ad hoc coaching to bring the dancers’ levels  of fitness, acting and technique higher and higher), de Jongh has been hands on following rehearsals while organising the tours, and even on hot July and August days the dancers have stepped up to the plate and worked and worked. It’s a very special production and even if there was no tumultuous history and trauma behind how each member came to be part of this company, their Giselle season would still have been an artistic triumph on its own merits. Those reviews from critics heaping praise- they’re not sympathy votes. These dancers have earned it. 

 

If I don’t see any other ballet till next year (although of course I’ve  made bookings) these Giselle performances would keep me happy and satisfied till 2023.

Edited September 17, 2022 by Emeralds

[Geoff]

23 hours ago, Sim said:

Yes, it is opposite her own grave and looks like one that hasn't been occupied yet.  I am not sure what the significance is of laying her on this one instead of her own...she does disappear into it

 

A slight exaggeration Sim: disappearing is clearly the intention but that hasn't always worked. On the first night the prop got stuck so very little happened. Later in the week Alina was about halfway down when it all jammed again. I vaguely remember seeing this piece of staging before and it didn't work great then either. Lovely idea though.

 

Might I anyway add my small voice to the loud chorus of approval for this wonderful and moving - and "softer" - production. Bought an extra ticket for tonight and so much looking forward. 

[San Perregrino]

Does anyone know who is dancing this evening (Saturday) ?

[Emeralds]

3 hours ago, Geoff said:

 

A slight exaggeration Sim: disappearing is clearly the intention but that hasn't always worked. On the first night the prop got stuck so very little happened. Later in the week Alina was about halfway down when it all jammed again. I vaguely remember seeing this piece of staging before and it didn't work great then either. Lovely idea though.

 

Might I anyway add my small voice to the loud chorus of approval for this wonderful and moving - and "softer" - production. Bought an extra ticket for tonight and so much looking forward. 

That’s fantastic that you’re able to go again, Geoff!  Let us know how it goes. PS if you already know the casting from the display boards please let us know! 

[Emeralds]

53 minutes ago, PeterS said:

Does anyone know who is dancing this evening (Saturday) ?

PeterS, the casting boards probably have the final decision. We’re not getting much by way of early updates as (I think) they have a very tiny number of staff (compared to RB/BRB). Currently most likely to be Christine Shevchenko as Giselle, Vladyslava  Kovalenko doing double duty as Myrtha again, and Oleksii Tiutiunnykh or Stanislav Olshanskyi as Albrecht, and Veronika Hordina and Nikita Hodyna reprising their Peasant Pas de Deux from the first night . This is very much “to be confirmed” of course. 

[Geoff]

32 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

if you already know the casting from the display boards please let us know! 

 

[Geoff]

By the way, there is a (to me slightly forbidding) small demonstration as one approaches the theatre from Trafalgar Square. Unusual demo: two firm-faced men in dark suits and a slightly less fierce-looking blonde woman. From the look of their literature it seems this might be connected to the show. Anyone gifted in foreign languages who can explain?

[Emeralds]

38 minutes ago, Geoff said:

 

That’s the third guess I’ve got right this week - 😮.....my family says I should have bought a lottery ticket, haha ! Would have loved to see this but it’s my turn to do nursing duty for an unwell family member, so I’ve just sent in a donation instead.

 

Thank you Geoff. Am very pleased you have a different Albrecht to Tuesday to make it more interesting. Please  let us know what you think afterwards. I’m very pleased that Tiutiunnykh and Olshanskyi both got two shows each. No idea what the demonstration is, but I’ll see if the local news has anything. Would have thought nobody cared to protest about a little 19th century ballet though! 

 

Update: the Internet doesn’t seem to know anything about the demonstration. Don’t suppose you took a photo...? Hopefully all theatregoers will be fine once  inside the theatre. Also, I would have thought the area would be under police surveillance this weekend, given the proximity to Buckingham Palace and dignitaries arriving....

Edited September 17, 2022 by Emeralds