Grand Giselle flies to ghostly realms
DANCE
Giselle
St Petersburg Ballet Theatre
3.5 stars
His Majesty’s Theatre
REVIEW JO PICKUP
He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me ... he loves me ... not!
Sigh! How could this be? The frail-hearted peasant girl Giselle throws her petal-less flower stem to the ground in despair at the thought her love “Loys” (benevolent nobleman Albrecht in disguise as danced by Iurii Mirov) is not as in love with her as she is with him.
So opens Giselle, the classic 19th century Romantic ballet with which the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre opened its Perth season, which concludes with eight shows of the quintessential Russian ballet Swan Lake.
Auburn-haired Russian beauty Anna Samostrelova embodies Giselle’s fresh- faced purity and sweet delicacy. Samostrelova’s characterisation and refined technique are pleasing throughout as Giselle’s gushing devotion for Loys soon turns to crushing disbelief, collapse and then her haunting of the Prince as a Wilis spirit.
It is especially nice to see Samostrelova’s prowess as the broken-hearted Wilis fairy in Act II. The celebrated “tormented whirling spirit” solo sequence and her adage is deeply felt. Set against the melancholic sounds of Adolphe Adam’s original score, Samostrevola as Giselle and the statuesque Mariia Velikaia as the Queen of the Wilis elevate the work and transport us to other-worldly realms.
Velikaia’s portrayal of Mirtha, Queen of the Wilis is strong. Her stalk-like physique shows complete control over her solemn, velvety solos as she commands her flock of diaphanous Wilis fairies — flooding the stage with their grace and ghostly air.
The young male soloists bring their own charm and virtuosity to the experience (though the costume choice and drawn-on eyebrows for dancer Dymchik Saikeev as Hilarion draw unfortunate mental comparisons with Star Trek’s Dr Spock).
The set design is also splendid, framing the dance with traditional grandeur but it was a pity not to have Adam’s magnificent score played live by an orchestra. The recorded music cannot come close to hearing Adam’s 19th century notes played live.
So while forlorn Giselle’s flowers will for ever remain petal-less, there are sure to be countless ravishing bouquets on hand for the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre’s final Perth shows this week, in which star attraction prima ballerina Irina Kolesnikova will make appearances in Swan Lake.
