GISELLE: ABT Review

New York, New York — by Celia Ipiotis

A test of artistic skill, the romantic ballet Giselle can undo many a ballet dancer with its technical and dramatic demands. Created for the sensational mid 19th century ballerina, Carlotta Grisi, Giselle was originally choreographed by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, updated by Marius Petipa and then renovated by Kevin McKenzie for ABT.

At the center of the ballet flourishes the pretty young village maiden “Giselle” who loves to dance. She’s smitten by a mysterious man wooing her, Albrecht, who unbeknownst to her is a nobleman.

A popular Principal with American Ballet Theater, Catherine Hurlin debuted in the role of Giselle portraying her as a sweet, innocent peasant girl, full of happiness and giddy hope. Her beau, Albrecht, (Daneil Camargo) the adoring nobleman posing as a villager sweeps her up in bouts of dancing peppered with mimed passages. Full of chasing leaps and lighthearted turns the romance deepens and both pledge love to one another. This glorious afternoon is interrupted by the arrival of the royal party. Despite her mother’s (Nancy Raffa) concerns, Giselle — who suffers from a weak heart — insists on expending more energy dancing for the guests, most especially for the beautiful noblewoman.

Unable to hold back anymore, Hilarion — the groundskeeper in love with Giselle — reveals Albrecht’s parentage. Upon realizing Albrecht was toying with her, Giselle goes mad, only this mad scene eschews the usual hair-tearing mania and instead, Giselle looks stunned and then just loses her breath. Unable to watch her destruction, Albrecht looks away from the tragedy begot of his folly. 

After Giselle expires, she reappears in the forest of the Wilis. In Act II, Camargo and Hurlin navigate the technical intricacies with varied success. Appearing more alive and then dead, when Hurlin ferries backwards in airy her hard toe shoes thunk on stage dispelling a sense of ephemerality. Technically capable of the leg lifts, puffy hops and seamless turns — in time, Hurlin will grow into the otherworldly 19th century ballerina style.

Camargo thrills the audience in a series of traveling leg beats and arched back turns. A very strong partner, Camargo raises Giselle effortlessly off the ground in tilted lifts.

Rounding out the cast, Fangqi Li as Myrtha Queen of the Wilis, was well danced but lacked a bit of the Queen’s intense, heatless steeliness. In the Act I Peasant pas de deux, a series of solos merge into trios generally demonstrating the dance qualities up and coming dancers. The charming Tyler Maloney and Betsy McBride are still reaching for technical security.

Despite Myrtha’s commands to dance to his death, Camargo survives the onslaught of dancing with the loving urges of Giselle. However, at the end, when Giselle peacefully returns to her grave, Camargo, overwhelmed with emotion, walks away dropping one white lily after another on the ground. Effectively poetic.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Celia Ipiotis