Ballet West's Giselle

Last night I saw the classic ballet Giselle beautifully re-staged by Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute.  I absolutely loved it! Giselle is a young peasant girl who meets a handsome man named Loy (who is really Albrecht, the Duke of Silesia, in disguise).  She falls in love with him much to the dismay of Hilarion, a peasant boy who loves her.  Loy leaves when he hears the horns of a hunting party but Hilarion discovers his true identity when he finds his sword.  The hunting party is comprised of the Duke of Courland and his daughter, Bathilde, who becomes fond of Giselle. They speak of love and confess that they are both engaged (it turns out that they are engaged to the same man).  Later, Loy returns and Hilarion confronts him with his sword. Giselle, upon learning the truth, goes mad and takes her own life.  When Albrecht visits Giselle's grave, he is confronted by the Wilis, the spirits of young maidens who were betrayed before their wedding day and seek revenge against those who deceived them. The Wilis force Albrecht to dance until he dies but Giselle forgives him which frees him from the spell.  I was thrilled when I learned that Christopher Ruud, my favorite Ballet West dancer, was dancing the role of Albrecht and Christiana Bennett, another favorite, was dancing the role of Myrthe, the Queen of the Wilis.  Giselle was danced by Arolyn Williams and she was amazing!  I loved the scene where Loy (Albrecht) woos Giselle.  The business with the flower to determine if Loy loves her is really sweet.  The Pas de Deux between Albrecht and Giselle's ghost is incredibly tender and beautiful (as is all the music for this ballet).  I loved the woodland scenery and costumes.  Most of the corps is costumed in rustic browns and greens while Giselle and Albrecht are in light blue.  It is a striking contrast.  The Wilis are all in white with a touch of green, making them seem otherworldly. The whole effect is quite beautiful.  The new staging is lovely and I highly recommend this production. Unfortunately, there are only two performances left:  an evening performance tonight (Sat) and a matinee tomorrow (Sun).  Go here for tickets and information.

Note:  I overheard a girl sitting near me say that her dream was to go to Russia and see a ballet.  I think that is a pretty good dream to have.