A new staging of this quintessential ballet is co-produced by
Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg, internationally acclaimed
principal dancer of the Royal Ballet. Gillian Murphy, RNZB
Principal Guest Artist and star of American Ballet Theatre, dances
Giselle, one of the most dramatic roles in the classical ballet
repertoire.
Disguise and revelation, love and jealousy combine in this tragic
tale. A love story unfolds against the ghostly backdrop of a
Rhineland forest haunted by the fearful presence of the "Wilis" -
vengeful spirits of abandoned brides. The beautiful peasant girl,
Giselle, falls for Albrecht who conceals his identity to win her.
The discovery of her lover's deception shatters Giselle's innocence
and causes her to die of a broken heart. Albrecht is thrown into
the hands of the merciless Wilis, but Giselle cannot bear to watch
him die and returns as a ghost to save him.
Giselle is the most dramatic and beautiful of ballets and RNZB's
brand new production is a must-see in 2012.
Production - Johan Kobborg and Ethan Stiefel
Choreography - Johan Kobborg and Ethan Stiefel (after Marius
Petipa)
Set Design - Howard Jones
Costume Design - Natalia Stewart
Lighting Design - Kendall Smith
Conductor - Michael Lloyd