Queensland Ballet: Giselle -
Optus Playhouse, 21 June -
Artistic Director Li Cunxin set the bar high when he announced Giselle as the second ballet for his inaugural season with Queensland Ballet (QB). It is some years since a production of this quintessential Romantic ballet has been seen on a Brisbane stage, therefore from a marketing point of view it was an excellent choice. However with the Paris Opera’s Sydney season of what must be for that company, a signature work, preceding the QB season by only a few months, inevitably the bar was raised even further.
This production, staged and produced by Ai-Gul Gaisina, in the main follows tradition with a strong adherence to the Romantic style, although pared back for a smaller company. Richly embellished by the set and costume designs of Peter Cazalet and enlivened by the atmospheric lighting design of Ben Hughes it is a visually striking production.
Of the three principal casts Meng Ningning and Huang Junshuang danced the roles of Giselle and Albrecht on opening night. However, real life drama overtook that on stage when Meng sustained an injury to her foot during the first act (unbeknown to the audience) and was replaced, along with Huang, by Rachael Walsh and Matthew Lawrence in the second act. It was a revealing juxtaposition of the two casts.
Meng made a charmingly innocent and delicate Giselle, illuminating the stage on her first entrance. Her solo was light and technically accomplished although the diagonal hops on pointe seemed a little strained – undoubtedly because of her injured left foot.
Huang (guest Principal Artist from Houston Ballet) was a dashing Albrecht. A tall elegant dancer with beautifully suspended elevation and high extensions he exuded boyish charm. The interaction between the two dancers however, seemed a little studied at times, lacking nuance and spontaneity.
Nathan Scicluna (Hilarion) and Janette Mulligan (Berthe) both added dramatic gravitas to the mix. Scicluna, who has strong clean jumps, was particularly credible in the second act.
Gaisina has preserved the traditional mime sequences, particularly in Act 1, which effectively advances the drama, while the usual Peasant pas de Deux becomes a neatly executed Pas de Huit; the men very together in their beaten allegro, with soloist Yu Hui standing out for the clarity and crispness of his execution.
Walsh performed Act 2 with little preparation, having watched the first act from the audience. Nevertheless apart from her penchées, which were not quite fully extended, one would never have known; she was captivating, embodying otherworldliness.
It looked like a walk in the park for Lawrence who performed with such ease, including the long series of entrechat six, while the rapport between the two was palpable. It ramped the performance up to another level.
Soloist Lisa Edwards was ideally cast as Myrtha, having a long classical line, noble carriage of upper body and light as a feather ballon. The remote, cold indifference of Edwards’ characterisation was occasionally diminished however, by a tendency for her to project to the audience.
Welcome philanthropic support allowed the Camerata of St John’s to play for this and possibly future seasons. However, live music has the potential to diminish as well as enhance and it took some time for the smaller chamber orchestra to hit its stride; the beginning of the usually richly insistent overture was in particular rendered rather thin by a lack of depth in the orchestra’s ranks.
The production as a whole really cried out for the larger Lyric Theatre stage, (in the Pas de Huit there was little space between the eight dancers centre stage and those on the periphery). And although the whole company gave a solid performance, reflecting hours of rehearsal, especially of the corps, where in Act 2 hardly a finger was out of place, on opening night it often lacked a natural effervescence. Perhaps subsequent performances will allow the sparkle to surface.
- DENISE RICHARDSON
Giselle closes Saturday 6 July. More info here.