Credits:

Ballet & Dances Classical

Description:

The Netherlands National Ballet presents “Giselle,” starring Olga Smirnova, a prima ballerina who transferred from the Bolshoi Ballet.Since its premiere in 1841, “Giselle” has become a milestone in romantic ballet, and has gained popularity for its well-honed stylistic beauty and dramatic plot, in which a dead maiden’s spirit forgives her betrayed lover. This production is based on the choreography by Marius Petipa, with additional choreography by Rachele Beaujean and Ricardo Bustamante for a modern version. The contrast between the first act, in which the dominant step is downward to the ground as if to confirm life in this world, and the gravity-defying dance of Giselle and the Wili (spirits) in the second act is exquisite. The leading roles are played by two stars: Olga Smirnova, a former Bolshoi Ballet prima who left Russia after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and transferred