A masterpiece of the world ballet production - GISELLE, a romantic ballet by Adolphe Charles Adam - will return to the stage of State Theatre Košice in pre-premiere on Sunday, 30th April, and in premieres on Thursday and Friday, 11th and 12th May. The first act portrays stylized folk dance techniques in choreography by Vladimír Marušin. On the other hand, the second act reflects the classical dance of the Romantic Era in choreography by Lyudmyla Zhytnykova in Shoko Yamada´s ensemble training, directed by Slovak director and choreographer Ondrej Šoth.
The romantic ballet Giselle is a tragic story of a peasant girl´s love for a nobleman. It also contains the possibility of presenting completely different backgrounds, such as the contrast between beauty and ugliness, love and hate, dream and reality, the world of fairies and the rural environment. Inspiration for the ballet creation was a Slavic legend described by Heinrich Heine about unmarried girls who, after death, turn into fairies and dance with travellers at night until they die. “From a musical and dramaturgical point of view, Giselle and Swan Lake are the most beautiful works of classical romantic literature for me. I have respect for a composer and author of a literary piece when creating each work. In Giselle, there is an interesting element characteristic of romanticism. It is a transition from the real environment in the first act to the fairy world of illusion and timelessness. I am glad Giselle in Košice will get a new dress and set where fairies live in lotus flowers, not graves. It is a beautiful romantic story, and it´s important to pay attention to the nature of the characters and details,” says Ondrej Šoth. He returned to Giselle with the Ballet after fourteen years.
The stage of the new production was designed by Juraj Fábry, costumes by Ľudmila Várossová, and dramaturgy by Zuzana Mistríková. Unlike previous Giselle, dancers will be accompanied by a live orchestra. Chief conductor Peter Valentovič studied Adam´s ballet with the State Theatre Opera Orchestra.
Soloists Tetiana Lubska, Shoko Yamada and Vlada Schevchenko alternate in the role of peasant girl Giselle. The audience will see Eva Sklyarová and Lyudmyla Vasylyeva in the role of her mother Berthe, Marek Šarišský and Šimon Stariňák in the character of gamekeeper Hilarion, Gennaro Sorbino, Igor Pashko and Tomasz Siedlecky as Albrecht, Duke of Silesia, Alexander Skopintsev and Marianno Covone as his squire Wilfried, Šimon Stariňák and Marek Šarišský as Prince of Courland, hosting actress Henrieta Kecerová and ballet member Gabriela Sukhanová in the role of princess Bathilde, Tetiana Lubska and Vlada Schevchenko alternate as Myrtha, Queen of Wilis. Co-starring soloists and Ballet company of the State Theatre Košice.
