Love, betrayal and madness are the signature themes for this famous romantic ballet, Giselle. Only this video shows a wonderful twist in the interpretation featuring the main characters, Giselle and Albrecht, from the original cast of this ground breaking work by Mats Ek. Giselle is danced by Ana Laguna and Albrecht by Luc Buoy of the Cullberg Ballet.
Matz Ek is a Swedish choreographer who initially choreographed this non-romantic re-interpretation of the ballet for the Cullberg Ballet in 1982, which became very successful. The ballet has since become part of the repertoire of the Paris Opera ballet and remains popular today. What is important about this particular version is that Matz Ek was the first choreographer to re-create this ballet into a contemporary vocabulary that had remained untouched from its first inception in Paris for almost two centuries. Matz Ek paved the way for other classic recreations that have followed since.
Ek invented new dance sequences and a totally new movement vocabulary that were strictly contemporary at the time and remain equally so today. He kept the two act story structure but re-adapted the story line.
The setting in the first act takes place in a claustrophobic small town on an island, where Giselle was considered as a kind of village idiot or misfit who sees and hears things. Her fiancé, Hilarion, loved her but misunderstood her so he kept her tied with a rope. Albrecht her lover, is fascinated by her, but as indicated by his white suit, is young and innocent and is unable to assume his love for her and this leads to the tragedy of thwarted love for Giselle as she breaks down and is sent to an institution where her lover, Albrecht follows.
The Second act takes place in the surreal setting of a mental institution where other young women are detained who have suffered the same fate as Giselle. Ek hints at the “willis” are young women who have challenged the social structure and broken rules in their own social class. In the end, both Hilarion and Albrecht loose the one they loved, Giselle
The dancing is superb especially by Ana Laguna who dances Giselle. She dances with such a vulnerable purity and innocence and she is so spontaneous in her movements that reveal her feelings and wishes to Albrecht. And it is this vulnerability and naïveté that is her downfall.
The movement is so expressive and Ana Laguna dances it with such intensity, clarity and passion that ranges from joy to despair in moments. Her movements portray wonderful nuances of her character that at times are almost animated. And her sense of freedom and timing as she moves through space is fabulous. The anguish of her limp arms and dragging feet by her disaster are heart wrenching.
I am inspired by Laguna’s scope and interpretation of the movement and character. I never tire from watching her!
I hope you will enjoy it too! And be sure to SHARE!
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