Giselle is one of those perennially popular ballets which lovers of dance have seen countless times, so what was there going to be about Pacific Northwest Ballet’s new production to make it special? Yes, it was going to have all new costumes and scenery, designed by one of today’s masters of those genres, France’s Jerome Kaplan, but at the same time it was to be traditional.
We had the answer this weekend when the ballet opened at McCaw Hall. Saturday night had ballerina Carla Korbes in the title role with a strong supporting cast, but the first overwhelming impression was of the set.
Kaplan used wood engravings of the ballet in black and white from the 1840s as the basis for his designs, and these were projected onto scrims at the start of each act. In an arresting start to the performance, lights began to appear in the windows of the scrim cottages, before the scrim rose and the actual scenery appeared behind in a realization of the engraving, lit windows, majestic trees and all.
Like the traditional costumes, the traditional set appeared new-minted in glorious color, the hunters in English aristocracy-style red coats and black top hats.
With this as backdrop, the company proceeded to deliver one of the strongest performances I’ve ever seen it do. Perhaps it is because the entire company performed so musically, and the acting, essential in Giselle, was clear and dramatic. Timing was exquisite, each person in sync with the next and with the music, whether in a pas de deux or as a group. Kudos particularly to corps member Liora Neuville, a dancer of lightness, strength and surpassing musicality, who shone in the peasant pas de deux with her partner Benjamin Griffiths. This, alas, is one of her last performances. She is retiring to go to nursing school, a loss to dance but we wish her well.
Korbes, now recovered from injury which has kept her out for most of the season, danced and acted superbly throughout. The mad scene was riveting, with Korbes at the center, but Batkhurel Bold as her noble lover, Eric Hipolito, Jr., as his squire, William Lin-Yee as his game-keeper rival and Margaret Mullin as Giselle’s mother as well as the chorus of hunters, ladies and peasants had this audience member on the edge of her seat.
For the second act in the forest, Kaplan created another terrific set, though one which gave him a bit less scope as did the ghostly Wili costumes, traditionally all white and romantic in length. Randall Chiarelli’s lighting came to the fore here, cold and white with shafts of moonlight streaming down. As the Wili queen, Laura Tisserand accomplished a difficult role with aplomb, often very slow, needing great control and starting with protracted gliding on pointe across the floor. The corps also achieved some difficult moves perfectly together and in keeping with the mood. Korbes, Bold, Lin-Yee and Hipolito added the acting, which several times during both halves of the ballet included some rough pushing around.
All of this enthralling spectacle was supported by conductor Emil de Cou and the orchestra, with close attention to the dancers so that Adolphe Adam’s music and the steps meshed at the same moment.
The production continues through June 8. It would be great introduction to ballet for children.