Dutch National Ballet’s Giselle - cinema broadcast

[Tattin]

Dawnstar, I was personally most relieved to see that the wilis had no wings. To my mind wings are for fairies, sylphs and other such spirits but NOT for ones that  have been human beings.

[maryrosesatonapin]

We drove through rush-hour traffic to a distant and rather unpleasant cinema to see this tonight, and it was well worth it!  What a lovely evening.  Tissi is effortlessly aristocratic and elegant and Smirnova's technique is dazzling, although for some reason I never feel my heart touched by her dancing.  Potskhishvili was so convincing as a passionate Hilarion, and in the limited dancing allocated to him he was so mesmerising that I long to see him in a more challenging role.  Well done, Dutch Ballet, and thank you!

[alison]

I don't know whether it was distortion due to the wide-angle lens, but that stage looked absolutely massive!  (SO much bigger than the dance stage at the Concertgebouw )  I quite felt for the dancers having to cover it.

[myrtle]

On 01/02/2024 at 18:21, alison said:

I don't know whether it was distortion due to the wide-angle lens, but that stage looked absolutely massive!  (SO much bigger than the dance stage at the Concertgebouw )  I quite felt for the dancers having to cover it.

 

Yes, a huge stage was the first thing I thought.   Also it sounded like a full philharmonic orchestra was playing the music!     I have also heard wonderful ballet music from smaller orchestras, so size isn't everything, but this was a rare treat.

 

I quite like this tutu design for Giselle and the Wilis, the simplicity of the bodice and the skirt not 'bubbling up' so much.    The 3 leads were all very impressive, but I think I found Hilarion the most memorable.   Tissi as Albrecht reminded me of the first time I saw Baryshnikov on TV, almost too perfectly sculpted to be real, lol.  

 

Thank you to everyone here at balletcoforum for the heads up about Giselle cinema and all the ballet news.  

[FionaM]

I also saw the encore relay, with about 25 others in the cinema.  
 

I enjoyed it.  It’s an uncluttered production.  The extra music for the pd4 was the only thing that jarred a bit.  On the other hand, I didn’t mind the extra music for the extended Act 1 solo for Albrecht, probably because Jacopo Tissi is so beautiful to watch. I preferred Olga Smirnova in Act 2 as I felt she was not as convincing as the unworldly young village girl despite having a cohesive narrative that she was portraying.
 

I did giggle when the 4 winestampers came on in their very short shorts.  It felt like a Matthew Bourne joke.  It certainly was the jolliest village scene which built up nicely to the moment when Hilarion spills his knowledge.  Giorgi Potskhishvili dominated the stage whenever he was on.  (I’ve been lucky to see him dance in person with DNB 4 times already in the last year … Rothbart, Siegfried, Dorian and I Raymonda.  His aura is awesome.)

 

Another vote to join others above, for the brilliantly fast and neat bourrees by Floor Eimers’ Myrtha, and also to the well rehearsed Wilis. 
 

I would have liked an introduction and interval interviews as Pathé used to do when they filmed the Bolshoi, even though this is a recorded show.  
 

There was something odd about the straight on camera angle which made the stage seem both shallower and wider than it is.  

[Birdy]

Some of the Wilis and peasants are second/graduate year students so it’s a great opportunity for them to participate. 

Edited February 3 by Birdy

[Ian Macmillan]

On the NextDoor site for our general area, there have been some posts to the effect that folk have turned up at cinemas only to find the showing has been cancelled due to 'insufficient interest.'  (It was never scheduled at either cinema closest to us.)

[FionaM]

That happened to me once. I hadn’t booked in advance as wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it. The cinema cancelled the showing.
 

It was a half hour drive to the next nearest cinema.  I was not pleased.   Lesson learnt.  Book ticket in advance.   Then they have to show it … even if only 1 person books.