Dawnstar Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 I regret that I wasn't able to see Hawes/Maievskyi but, as well as the cost, neither of their dates worked for me as the first was a schools matinee & the second clashed with the only Naghdi/Bracewell Manon that I could get to. I really hope ENB revive this production again soon so I can try to see casts I missed this time. I'd also really like to see Frola again but with just the one Giselle! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmgard Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 12 hours ago, PatC said: I FINALLY managed to get to a performance yesterday matinee. This was the Giselle production I started my ballet viewing with all those years ago when the company was London Festival Ballet. In those days I was front row Balcony for performance after performance of those glorious summer seasons with a plethora of mixed bills / classics and guest artists. Giselle for me during those years was Evdokimova and Terabust - Albrecht would possibly have been Schaufuss and Armand. Maina Gielgud did shows called Steps notes and squeaks and one of the evenings was dedicated to Giselle - Anton Dolin was coaching. From it I remember him decrying the use of lilies by Albrecht in the 2nd act - he thought it should be wild flowers picked on his way to the grave which I think is a lovely thought - so I despise the lilies - is it a Russian addition? He also instructed the Albrecht that he should not take his eyes off Giselle when they cross front stage - ‘you cannot believe your eyes so you do not look away’ - I’ve yet to see any dancer do that. Quibbles aside, this for me is the OG version and cannot be faulted, even with the lighting issues. To see Kase and Frola yesterday afternoon was glorious. One small query though @Irmgard I thought the Myrtha entrance yesterday was different - my memory has 2 diagonals with veil on but only one yesterday - have my memories decieved me? Myrtha only has the one long diagonal with veil on, and then bourrées across the back, having removed her veil. Mary Skeaping also disliked the lilies in Act 2 but they are part of the David Walker designs and she had to defer to him about those, but she said it looked like Albrecht had stopped off at the local florist on is way to the grave. She also thought it should look like he had gathered wildflowers - and her comment to me predated Gielgud's "Steps, Notes and Squeaks". I agree that Albrecht should not take his eyes off Giselle on those crossings and I think I managed to convince at least one of my casts to do this but obviously note the one you saw. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeauxArts Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 A final thought from me: Katja’s performances as Giselle were emphatically principal-level, aside from a demonstration of exceptional artistry: I very much hope that she will be promoted, and cannot think of another dancer currently who deserves it more. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Well that is that for Mary Skeaping's Giselle and as far as I'm concerned it can't come back soon enough. Two weekend matinee performances of exceptional quality ended my run. Saturday with Shiori Kase and Francesco Gabriele Frola. What beautiful dancers they are with impeccable technique and what a strong and believable connection they had. A detail new to me emerged as I was sitting on the left side of the auditorium - after the royal party have retired to the cottage when Albrecht reappears on stage, he sees the necklace Giselle is wearing and a shadow so subtly passes across his face .... he knows trouble is coming. On Sunday the final performance was given wonderfully by the ethereal Katja Khaniukova (what incredible arms she has) and the noble Aitor Arrieta. Interestingly at this performance Katja chose to dance the diagonal - as did Shiori Kase on Saturday. At both performances the pd2 dancers were Ivana Bueno and Daniel McCormick. They were exceptional; he was notable in that difficult, stamina sapping first solo. I wish I had seen his Albrecht and surely Ivana will dance Giselle before too long. The future of the company is in great hands. A final word for the superb corps - no sagging in quality even after 39 Nutcrackers and 13 Giselles. Remarkable. 13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 15 minutes ago, annamk said: A detail new to me emerged as I was sitting on the left side of the auditorium - after the royal party have retired to the cottage when Albrecht reappears on stage, he sees the necklace Giselle is wearing and a shadow so subtly passes across his face .... he knows trouble is coming. Oh good. I missed it - again - because I never remember to be looking for it in the right place, but it always amazes me how most Albrechts don't seem to notice the addition to Giselle's wardrobe. When I see they recognise it as belonging to their fiancee, it adds a very credible note of foreboding. I say "most" - it's indicative of its rarity that the last time I actively recall seeing it was the Armand performance I mentioned upthread, a couple of decades ago! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmgard Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 17 minutes ago, alison said: Oh good. I missed it - again - because I never remember to be looking for it in the right place, but it always amazes me how most Albrechts don't seem to notice the addition to Giselle's wardrobe. When I see they recognise it as belonging to their fiancee, it adds a very credible note of foreboding. I say "most" - it's indicative of its rarity that the last time I actively recall seeing it was the Armand performance I mentioned upthread, a couple of decades ago! It is actually part of the production that Giselle shows the necklace to Albrecht, who recognises it as belonging to Bathilde and we should see a reaction of surprise/worry from Albrecht (which Giselle does not see), but sometimes that moment might get lost in all the commotion with the cart being brought on. In fact, this is why Giselle does not go into the house with the royal party - she runs off to find Albrecht because she is so excited to show him the necklace. 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Yes, I suspect I wasn't looking in the right place - as usual. Thanks, Irmgard, as ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 (edited) 4 hours ago, BeauxArts said: A final thought from me: Katja’s performances as Giselle were emphatically principal-level, aside from a demonstration of exceptional artistry: I very much hope that she will be promoted, and cannot think of another dancer currently who deserves it more. I was at the last show and Katja was lovely but not brilliant in every way. (I don’t want to nitpick.) I can think of 5 or 6 other ballerinas soloists at ENB that I feel have more range and potential. Sadly some good dancers are passed by for principal promotion (Yuhui Choe at RB for one). I’m glad it’s not me who decides. Edited January 22 by FionaM Upped the number Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 2 hours ago, alison said: Yes, I suspect I wasn't looking in the right place - as usual. Thanks, Irmgard, as ever. and this is exactly why too much happening at once reduces the impact of key moments amongst the leads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 4 hours ago, alison said: Oh good. I missed it - again - because I never remember to be looking for it in the right place, but it always amazes me how most Albrechts don't seem to notice the addition to Giselle's wardrobe. When I see they recognise it as belonging to their fiancee, it adds a very credible note of foreboding. I say "most" - it's indicative of its rarity that the last time I actively recall seeing it was the Armand performance I mentioned upthread, a couple of decades ago! I've noticed that some productions have Giselle wearing Bathilde's gift when Albrecht returns to join them, and all the Albrechts notice and react, while some productions don't have Giselle wearing the necklace at first (during her crowning as Queen of the harvest) but is wearing it later when she returns, just before Hilarion blows on the horn to summon the royal party. (I have seen lots of Giselle productions by different companies big and small in different cities!) Of course Albrecht doesn't have to recognise it - he may not have seen Bathilde that day yet and it could be a new necklace she hasn't worn before- but it makes more sense dramatically if he did. However I don't think anyone misses out anything if they don't see it, as long as they see the Mad Scene. 😊 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Also a round of bouquets from me and echoing @annamk's praise for the company for delivering so many top notch performances with no drop in quality even after double show days (eg those arabesque hops in unison across a very big stage!) during a very long season! Bravi! 👏 💐 💐 💐 💐 💐 💐 💐 💐 💐 💐 💐 💐 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minder Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 21 hours ago, capybara said: I feel very privileged to have been in the audience for the final performance of ENB’s wonderful run which seems to have gone from strength to strength. Katja Kaniukova just was Giselle and everyone else on stage found interpretative and technical gears to match her. Bravo to the Company as a whole a total of 52 shows altogether at the Coliseum. Phew! Fully agree how special it was. Took someone new to ballet and they were very moved. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 5 minutes ago, Minder said: Fully agree how special it was. Took someone new to ballet and they were very moved. Minder! How lovely to see you back on the forum. Please don't be a stranger! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 No, indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCL Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 I have enjoyed this thread so much! Many thanks to Irmgard especially for sharing your knowledge and insights but also to everyone who has contributed their thoughts. I’m so pleased for ENB that Giselle was such a success. 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 An echo from the wings: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2hlBCZifms/ 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 50 minutes ago, Geoff said: An echo from the wings: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2hlBCZifms/ Lovely photos! Bravi Katja and ENB dancers, musicians and crew. 👏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 7 hours ago, Geoff said: An echo from the wings: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2hlBCZifms/ It's interesting to watch the mechanics of the wire from the wings removing the veil. It isn't magic after all. How disappointing. Talking of 'wings' (sorry) I've been searching for days (for 'searching' read rummaging in my mind, through books, via Google) for the source of a remembrance of Giselle sprouting wings. I do know the context was a production where Giselle rises from the grave, bows to Myrtha, Myrtha touches her (with myrtle wand?), all the while Giselle has her hands crossed in front of her chest. At that point in some productions the veil is removed and her wings sprout from her back. She then launches into that frantic sequence of hopping turns, as she has become a Wili. So, the mechanics of the sprouting? The wings were held down with a thin thread passing to her front, and Giselle had to break the thread to allow her wings to spring before she could hop and hop and hop. During my searches, one discovery was this post 'Do Wilis have wings?' and it is truly remarkable. https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/13115-do-wilis-have-wings/ 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Rather late, but just a brief note about the matinee on Thursday 18th January. My second visit, and decided to treat myself to an extremely nice seat in the stalls for a change. A wonderful Giselle from Emma Hawes. She seemed a less frail Giselle than Khaniukova, with slightly less emphasis on the heart condition in the first act. Her mad scene was more energetic, and at one point I really thought she was actually going to stab herself with the sword. . Incidentally, from my seat in the third row, I could see her mother removing the pins from her hair. Does the dancer playing the mother know exactly how many pins she has to take out? Does Giselle sometimes stand with some strands still pinned up? It wouldn't matter in the slightest, just make her look even more distressed, but my practical mind ponders these things. I thought Vsevolod Maievskyi was a very elegant dancer, and he had wonderful hair that danced along with him. I agree with the comment that he really did look too noble to be a peasant, although having said that I didn't realise how tall he was until the curtain calls. Precious Adams was a terrific Mrytha, full of menace. A lovely peasant pas de deux from Cloe Keneally and Noam Durand, and the rest of the company were on very good form. I was surprised that so many of the solos were by dancers from the lesser ranks, they were so good. Even though I could actually see Hilarion's mime this time, I still don't like the lighting in Act 2. Myrtha spends a lot of the time to the side of the stage, and because Precious Adams has dark skin, the only time I could clearly see her wonderful, terrifying facial expressions was when she moved closer to centre stage where the lighting was stronger. Apart from that, I would be very happy to see this production every year. Or at least every other year. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 2 hours ago, Roberta said: During my searches, one discovery was this post 'Do Wilis have wings?' and it is truly remarkable. https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/13115-do-wilis-have-wings/ What a wonderful discussion Roberta, thank you for finding it. A year or so ago I tried to find the indefatigable Ballet Alert contributor Mel Johnson but didn’t think to ask the Forum. Does anyone have an update? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 10 minutes ago, Sebastian said: A year or so ago I tried to find the indefatigable Ballet Alert contributor Mel Johnson but didn’t think to ask the Forum. Does anyone have an update? I'm sorry to say, I think Mel Johnson has joined Giselle in another realm. https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/43749-mel-johnson/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 2 hours ago, Roberta said: I'm sorry to say, I think Mel Johnson has joined Giselle in another realm. https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/43749-mel-johnson/ I feared as much. RIP. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmgard Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 (edited) 7 hours ago, Roberta said: It's interesting to watch the mechanics of the wire from the wings removing the veil. It isn't magic after all. How disappointing. Talking of 'wings' (sorry) I've been searching for days (for 'searching' read rummaging in my mind, through books, via Google) for the source of a remembrance of Giselle sprouting wings. I do know the context was a production where Giselle rises from the grave, bows to Myrtha, Myrtha touches her (with myrtle wand?), all the while Giselle has her hands crossed in front of her chest. At that point in some productions the veil is removed and her wings sprout from her back. She then launches into that frantic sequence of hopping turns, as she has become a Wili. So, the mechanics of the sprouting? The wings were held down with a thin thread passing to her front, and Giselle had to break the thread to allow her wings to spring before she could hop and hop and hop. During my searches, one discovery was this post 'Do Wilis have wings?' and it is truly remarkable. https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/13115-do-wilis-have-wings/ In the 1841 piano reduction of Adam's score (a treasure trove of stage directions), there is the following direction for Myrtha just before Giselle launches into her temps leves en tournant: "Myrtha le touche de son rameau et les ailes lui poussent", i.e Myrtha touches Giselle with her branch (rosemary in the score) and her wings appear. In the Skeaping production, Giselle does not have wings, I believe purely for the practical reason that they would get in the way during the pas de deux, but I believe it was Alicia Markova who wrote about how nervous she was that she would not be able to break the thread for her wings to sprout in time so that she could start her turns. The Wilis in Skeaping's production, on the other hand, have very beautiful wings! As they are meant to arrive from all over the world at that particular glade on that particular night to initiate Giselle, they would definitely have needed some mode of transport to get them there! Edited January 27 by Irmgard word omission 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 13 minutes ago, Irmgard said: I believe it was Alicia Markova who wrote about how nervous she was that she would not be able to break the thread for her wings to sprout in time so that she could start her turns. Thanks for that, I did think it was Markova, I couldn't find the ref! Markova said she always travelled with a pair of wings in her suitcase as you do, just in case. She also had a wry, dry sense of humour so who knows. Wings, the forerunners of 'beaming up'? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmgard Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 7 hours ago, Fonty said: Rather late, but just a brief note about the matinee on Thursday 18th January. My second visit, and decided to treat myself to an extremely nice seat in the stalls for a change. A wonderful Giselle from Emma Hawes. She seemed a less frail Giselle than Khaniukova, with slightly less emphasis on the heart condition in the first act. Her mad scene was more energetic, and at one point I really thought she was actually going to stab herself with the sword. . Incidentally, from my seat in the third row, I could see her mother removing the pins from her hair. Does the dancer playing the mother know exactly how many pins she has to take out? Does Giselle sometimes stand with some strands still pinned up? It wouldn't matter in the slightest, just make her look even more distressed, but my practical mind ponders these things. I thought Vsevolod Maievskyi was a very elegant dancer, and he had wonderful hair that danced along with him. I agree with the comment that he really did look too noble to be a peasant, although having said that I didn't realise how tall he was until the curtain calls. Precious Adams was a terrific Mrytha, full of menace. A lovely peasant pas de deux from Cloe Keneally and Noam Durand, and the rest of the company were on very good form. I was surprised that so many of the solos were by dancers from the lesser ranks, they were so good. Even though I could actually see Hilarion's mime this time, I still don't like the lighting in Act 2. Myrtha spends a lot of the time to the side of the stage, and because Precious Adams has dark skin, the only time I could clearly see her wonderful, terrifying facial expressions was when she moved closer to centre stage where the lighting was stronger. Apart from that, I would be very happy to see this production every year. Or at least every other year. Just to answer a few points. No, Berthe (played by the wonderful Laura Hussey) does not know how many pins there are to remove, as each Giselle has a different hair style which can take a different number of pins, depending on the day! In consultation with ENB's excellent wig mistress, Amelia Carrington-Lee, we went back to original thoughts on the production and so several of the Giselles wore their hair down for Act 1, just tied back off the face with some flower clips (I have vivid memories of Eva Evdokimova wearing her hair this way). And yes, there were times when not all the pins were removed and the hair looked particularly disheveled, as it is meant to - particularly Khaniukova at the last performance, adding to the poignancy of her incredible mad scene. I am glad that you appreciated that so many of the solos were done by the lower ranking dancers and were done so well. Having watched the company very closely over the last couple of years, I wanted to highlight the talent that there is at all levels of the company and happily Aaron Watkin agreed with me when we were doing the casting. As per a previous post, it is impossible to change the lighting for individual dancers as it is computerised these days and so has to be the same for each performance. However, I may see if it is possible to make it slightly less dark at certain moments in Act 2 in future without losing the wonderful effect when the Wilis are chasing the gamekeepers. Thank you for your lovely final comment! I think there are a lot of dancers who would also be very happy to dance it at least every other year! 8 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmgard Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Just another thought about the wings. This is Cyril Beaumont's translation, published in his book "The Ballet Called Giselle" of the libretto of "Giselle" by Saint-Georges and Gautier which was available to audience members in Paris in 1841 (I have a copy of the one for Swedish audiences a few years later) and which gives a detailed synopsis of each scene in the ballet: "On Myrtha's white shoulders tremble and flutter the diaphanous wings with which the Wili can envelop herself as though in a gauzy veil". "Giselle appears swathed in her thin shroud. She goes towards Myrtha, who touches her with her branch of rosemary; the shroud falls off and Giselle is changed into a Wili. Her wings grow and unfold". Of course, there is some artistic licence taken with the libretto compared to what might have actually happened onstage but the engravings and lithographs at that time all show the Wilis (including Giselle) with wings. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Before this thread peters out entirely, although I've been too busy/ill to make many comments, I did want to post briefly about James Streeter's Hilarion, which unfortunately I only caught the once. So much more detail than any other performance I saw: it was clear from every movement that his love was unrequited and was going to remain that way. Quite poignant. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 An alternative view from Matt Paluch https://www.gramilano.com/2024/01/giselle-we-have-a-problem/?fbclid=IwAR1KxZn8zXDgdhFV3DCU4l0UEoizgNtKSMYe30XeqTbMFsl9b5e11igCh6k_aem_AQ0T5GYNOI1rqL-ROuPRGp0eO9lhtb1GRpJcfSR6-wU-U4VrwNbPxemzMx5C-oCmEV4 discuss! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 8 hours ago, FionaM said: An alternative view from Matt Paluch https://www.gramilano.com/2024/01/giselle-we-have-a-problem/?fbclid=IwAR1KxZn8zXDgdhFV3DCU4l0UEoizgNtKSMYe30XeqTbMFsl9b5e11igCh6k_aem_AQ0T5GYNOI1rqL-ROuPRGp0eO9lhtb1GRpJcfSR6-wU-U4VrwNbPxemzMx5C-oCmEV4 discuss! He seems to be criticising both the production and the dancers; I think what he wants is something like the more naturalistic acting of the RB production and dancers. And I think it's true that that production is easier to respond to emotionally, because it's more in keeping with modern sensibilities and expectations. The challenge with the Skeaping production is to watch it with different eyes and a different heart, and with a degree of curiosity; the rewards for doing so are great. But if you come expecting a 'modern' production and being unwilling to adjust, you may struggle a bit. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 (edited) I’ve just lost my post I was writing! Have I the energy to do it again!! I don’t know why this happens!!! I just went to double check the spelling of “Paluch” and when returned to post it was gone! Edited January 30 by LinMM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 (edited) Hmm. I don't know where to start with that review from Gramilano. Matthew Paluch is an ex ballet dancer, so in theory knows what he is talking about. But I have to say I disagree profoundly with just about all of it. His main gripe seems to be that Giselle wasn't being performed by Osipova. I've never seen her in the role, but I believe I am right in saying that Osipova's interpretation is unique? I mentioned in one of my reviews that some of the audience members laughed at some points during act 2. When I went again, there was still the giggle when Giselle's veil was removed, but thinking about it the laugh seemed more a gasp at the unexpectedness of it, followed by a "oh my, that was a surprise" sort of noise. With regard to his comment: " Myrtha, no matter how convincingly performed, doesn't have actual supernatural powers, nor can Giselle fly." Er? We've already had an interesting discussion about the wings on the Wilis, and if the writer actually appeared in this production he should know all about it. Leaving the issue of flying aside, Mrytha is the leader of a group of women who died as the result of having their hearts broken by men, who roam the countryside at night looking for male jilters they force to dance to death. She commands Giselle to rise from her grave. If that isn't a display of supernatural powers I don't know what is. Edited January 30 by Fonty 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 I usually really like Paluch’s reviews though he can be a bit on the cerebral side sometimes but wonder whether he should have gone more than once! This is because sometimes and nothing to do with the Ballet one can have an “off” night so can be a bit dissociated from the performance so more easily drawn out into what’s going on around you than what’s going on on the stage. Obviously I didn’t go this year but he seems to make a lot of people laughing at certain points but was this widespread throughout the theatre? There is a hint of dancers going through the motions not being truly connected to themselves as artists but that’s not at all the impression I got from reading the reviews here! Still I do respect Paluch as a reviewer so will re read a few times to see if can really discern whether he was on an “off”night or has some valid points! Not easy when I’m having to remember this Giselle from quite a few years ago when my impression was definitely favourable! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 (edited) 9 hours ago, FionaM said: An alternative view from Matt Paluch https://www.gramilano.com/2024/01/giselle-we-have-a-problem/?fbclid=IwAR1KxZn8zXDgdhFV3DCU4l0UEoizgNtKSMYe30XeqTbMFsl9b5e11igCh6k_aem_AQ0T5GYNOI1rqL-ROuPRGp0eO9lhtb1GRpJcfSR6-wU-U4VrwNbPxemzMx5C-oCmEV4 discuss! I must admit I'm a bit confused by what Matthew is trying to get at....lol. (Does he know what he's trying to get at?) He danced in the production himself when he was dancing with ENB and said he liked it then. So what's the problem now? He noticed people laughing during the disappearance of the Giselle's veil effect and the flying Myrtha/wili effect (I'd rather he didn't give the game away about how the effect is carried out in his article since nobody asked and he isn't exactly being positive in the thrust of the article). So what....we noticed it too. People never laughed or giggled at it before (I know- I attended performances in previous seasons). The production dates from 1971 and audiences love it enough for tickets to sell well (I think the last show with the first night cast sold out- unless I just happened to log on when 50 people were all clicking on tickets to check seat views at the same time.) And the Balcony has sold out at a number of performances despite some seats being uncomfortable and some sightlines being restricted. The audience on a Tuesday night didn't laugh at the effects at all and were very enthusiastic with their applause. So it sounds like we just have a different audience this season, maybe newcomers who have a tendency to giggle at something unfamiliar. (As long as they're not giggling at Giselle's death- which they aren't.) I've put this new "phenomenon" down to current newbies in the audience not being used to seeing traditional stage effects like wire work, flying effects, etc because of the ever increasing employment of digital and film technology in productions in the West End and other locations. I think this is a pity - I like ballet (or opera, plays and musicals) to look like theatre productions and not a miniature version of a pop concert in an arena or stadium. If it's used for a specific purpose, eg the digital projection to show Alice shrinking in Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (impossible to shrink an actual human) that's a very good idea of course, but they shouldn't be used in everything and they are rather overused nowadays. So while we still have productions like Skeaping's Giselle and the Anderson/Kloborg La Sylphide (or indeed the Kobborg or Schaufuss productions) that use traditional effects, it shows us aspects of human ingenuity and creativity that are valuable and may be in danger if getting lost due to over reliance on the microchip. And we love the productions- they are beautiful shows. I took a friend who had seen Giselle once (RB production) which she also enjoyed and she didn't laugh at the effects at the ENB performance- she found the effects clever and atmospheric, and said she was moved to tears at the end (this was the performance with Takahashi/ McCormick / Suzuki in the three leads). Later on he says he now has problems with the role of Albrecht and the interpretation of Giselle. (Yet he said he had no problems with the ballet when he was a dancer.) And that the cast he saw didn't move him. Well one can be unmoved at anything- from Hamilton to Mary Poppins to Les Mis as well. We have had instances of different fans at the same performance with some saying they were unmoved and others saying they loved it - again that can happen with any genre of show and not just ballet, let alone Giselle. He does acknowledge that the production is highly regarded, which is something I guess! I'm wondering....is it slow news day at Gramilano? I hope Matthew is going to see the Empower in Motion Gala on 7 Feb - one can say one is unmoved by dancer X or didn’t like the interaction between dancer Y and dancer Z but if one wants to be moved, heartstrings tugged and all that, one must go and see Stopgap Dance Company, icandance, Parable Dance et al dancing on the same stage as Maria Kochetkova, Daniil Simkin, Yaoqian Shang, Sangeun Lee and Garerh Haw, Alice Bellini and Hannah Rudd - the odds that they have overcome just to get into a studio and get on stage, that puts things powerfully into perspective at a time when it's easy to be blasé or picky with the luxury of Nutcrackers (not just one but two productions), Giselles, Manons and Cojocaru/Kobborg spoiling us in London. NB I'm not annoyed at Matthew's article- I just think it sounds a bit confused and written as a kind of slow news day sort of filler. In fact, after this run of Giselle, there were others- not just me! - asking if it could come back soon and people abroad asking for it to be filmed for streaming or a DVD so that they could see it too. Which seldom happens after runs of Giselle! Edited January 30 by Emeralds 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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