Giselle will run for a limited season from 18 March until 9 April 2022 in the Artscape Opera House.
International guest artists Vadim Muntagirov (Principal of The Royal Ballet), Ksenia Ovsyanick (Principal at Staatsballett Berlin, pictured left) and Brandon Lawrence (Principal at Birmingham Royal Ballet) will join the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Cape Town City Ballet at select performances.
This much-loved ballet presents a romantic story of innocent love and betrayal portrayed in two acts. Giselle, a naive and beautiful peasant girl who loves to dance, unsuspectingly falls in love with a philandering nobleman, Albrecht. He disguises himself as a peasant while pursuing her affections and when the deceit is revealed Giselle is inconsolable. In discovering that he is already betrothed, she dies of a broken heart.
The story continues in the moonlit land of the Wilies, a mysterious landscape inhabited by the vengeful spirits of virgin brides who never reached their wedding day. The ghostly Wilies torment Albrecht as he appears in search of the spirit of Giselle.
The duality of the body and spirit, evocation of the supernatural, and the tale of undying love and devotion endears this quintessentially romantic ballet to a universal audience.
International artists to join
Giselle is performed to the music of Adolphe Adam, with choreography by Maina Gielgud, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The creative team includes the powerhouse duo of designer Peter Cazalet for décor, assisted by Michael Mitchell, and costume design and lighting design by Wilhelm Disbergen.
“We are honoured to be presenting Maina Gielgud’s production of this wonderful, timeless classic,” says Debbie Turner, CEO of Cape Town City Ballet. “We will shortly be announcing exciting news about the international guest artists who will be joining us at select performances.”
“In 2020, we were only able to present one performance in the entire year. In 2021, despite the continuing pandemic, we presented 60 performances. We go forward into 2022 with renewed hope to produce our four key seasons, as well as other performances throughout the year.”
Classical productions much in demand
Trained by the great Russians including Tamara Karsavina and Lubov Egorova, and later Rosella Hightower, Maina Gielgud danced as a principal dancer with London Festival Ballet, Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, as an international guest artist partnered by Rudolf Nureyev, and as a muse of the iconic choreographer Maurice Bejart and his company Maurice Bejart’s XXth Century Ballet.
Her own classical productions are much in demand including her highly acclaimed staging of Giselle for The Australian Ballet (staged also for Boston Ballet, Ballet du Rhin and Houston Ballet). Ms Gielgud also stages various works choreographed by Maurice Bejart, Kenneth MacMillan, Serge Lifar and Rudolf Nureyev.
What: Giselle
Where and when: Artscape from 18 March to 9 April 2022 | Select performances with the CPO performing live and guest artists
Tickets: Computicket
WS
