Ballet Cymru – Giselle

Review by Emily.

A tale of love and betrayal shrouded by undulating dance, Giselle ( Beth Meadway) glided across the stage in a captivating production. The cathedral framed the ballet magnificently: beneath stained glass and pillars of stone, the performance was contrastingly light, airy and ephemeral.

The music was considerably more modern than traditional ballets, centred primarily around the lyrical harp. However, during a moment of jealously and anger, percussion thumped furiously and rage flashed across the stage in white stormy light. The ballet also made use of shadow as in Act two,  the black silhouettes of spindly trees stretched floor to vaulted ceiling. Gravestone set the scene of the second half and created an eerie imposing ambiance, magnified by the ancient grandeur of the cathedral.

Act Two was particularly eye catching as Myrtha, Queen of the ‘Wilis’ (ghostly apparitions of girls who have died betrayed by their faithless lovers on the eve of their weddings) appears in a ragged white dress and skeletal make-up. The music altered its motif during this section: a tinkling  haunted-house style piano waltz.  It struck me during this part, how well ballet can portray emotion, from the joyous springs and the clipped envy in Act One to the simultaneously stiff and fluid motion of the deceased ‘Wilis’ in Act Two. ‘Giselle’ was a marvellously creative production by the Ballet Cymru company – it’s dancers are story-tellers as they act, mime and represent key moments symbolically. One memorable and fascinating example was when, as a ghost, Giselle appears to magically step through her former lover, Count Albrecht. Chilling!

This was a stunning ballet performance: mysterious, inventive and compelling. Providing pure escapism, light, music and dance effortlessly washed over both the audience and cathedral throughout in continuous mesmerising waves. A production that will haunt me for many days to come!