Moscow City Ballet present ‘Giselle, Queen's Theatre, North Devon, 27/02/2009
 |
| • Amy Wisenfeld |
REVIEW: Amy Wisenfeld, age 16
A delicate yet high energy performance of Giselle performed by the Moscow Ballet proved to be an evening of great entertainment.
The ballet told the tale of the mythical creatures, the Wilis – ghostly spirits, engaged to be married, yet dead before their wedding days. They were said to reveal themselves at midnight in forest glades, dancing in their billowing white gowns, drawing young men into their midst who would be compelled to dance until they were dead from exhaustion.
‘Giselle’ was the unfortunate story of one such girl, who falls in love with a Prince beyond her reach and dies from the heartbreak of it.
At times, in the first act, the set design and costumes seemed a bit ‘sugary’, and the fairytale likeness detracted from the story of betrayal which was being danced out. In contrast, during the second act, the white flowing gowns worn by the spirits enhanced the sense of mystery and suspense. The amazing talent and strength of these young dancers was evident as they portrayed the emotional torment of Giselle and her lover. Their dancing subtly overcame the limitations of the restrictive size of the stage. The choreography, in link with the music, (which being piped lacked the immediacy of a live orchestra), interpreted the themes of love, betrayal and death with great passion and feeling.
Seemingly minimalistic and occasionally anodyne, the lighting throughout the performance had only one major change, between the first and the second act, which nevertheless enhanced the sense of sadness and depression of Giselle’ s tragic life.
Giselle’s final dance is one of such heart wrenching emotion. The flurrying movements portrayed her confused sense of mind and the gradual diminishing pace of her dance depicted her failing and heartbroken body.
The performance moved, entertained and left me reflecting on the fine thread which links the natural with the supernatural. The audience too had clearly been stirred and showed their appreciation in a lengthy applause for the principle dancers and the supporting company.
The Young Dance reviewer scheme is collaboration between Dance in Devon and North Devon Theatres.
|
|