THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 8, 1996 TAG: 9602080039
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE VANHECKE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
IT MAY LOOK magical, but no wave of a wand makes the gossamer world of the ballet stage possible - just plenty of hard work. Take it from Richmond Ballet.
On Saturday at Chrysler Hall, the company will unveil its new production of the immortal love story ``Giselle,'' the culmination of more than a year's work.
This presentation of the classic Romantic ballet marks the first time the state ballet of Virginia has designed and built all of its own costumes and scenery for a full-length production. The company also performed ``Giselle'' in 1981, 1987 and 1992, using rented stage sets and wardrobe.
``It's a monumental step to be able to create our own sets and costumes for such an important and enduring work,'' said Stoner Winslett, Richmond Ballet's artistic director, in a written statement with promotional material. ``(It) allows for a unique, cohesive look for the production.''
The lavish backdrops and costumes were conceived a year ago and built last summer under the supervision of Charles Caldwell, associate artistic director for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Richmond Ballet's ballet master, Malcolm Burn, and production director, Craig Margolis, oversaw the construction.
Caldwell's sets have graced Norfolk stages before, in the Virginia Stage Company productions of ``Peter Pan'' and ``Sleuth.''
Burn also updated the two-act ballet's original choreography, reworking the 1841 staging of Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa. Company members Mary Maus and Anton Kunkikeyev will dance the lead roles of Giselle and her lover, Albrecht, on Saturday evening.
``Burn's restaging maintains the integrity of the original `Giselle' while ensuring it is meaningful in 1996 and beyond,'' Winslett said. ``The fact that Giselle has endured 155 years and has survived changes in styles and tastes is a tribute to its universal popularity and appeal.''
``Giselle'' is the haunting story of a love triangle between the peasant girl Giselle; her lover Albrecht, who is a nobleman disguised as a peasant; and Hilarion, Albrecht's rival for Giselle's passion. In the first act, Giselle dies of a broken heart when she discovers that Albrecht is really not a peasant but a prince engaged to someone else.
In Act II, Giselle has become one of the Wilis, ghosts of dead girls jilted by their lovers. Tormented by their unrequited love, they can find no rest and are destined to dance every night. Albrecht and Hilarion come to mourn at Giselle's grave, but while Hilarion succumbs to the Wilis and dies, Albrecht is protected by Giselle's love. As the sun rises, Giselle and the Wilis slowly fade, leaving Albrecht alone to muse upon the power of enduring love.
Richmond Ballet - proclaimed the official state ballet company in 1990 by former Gov. Douglas Wilder - is ranked today as one of the top troupes in America, presenting dance programs to about 50,000 people each year throughout Virginia and nearby states. The company will take ``Giselle'' on a Midwest tour later this month.
The Virginia Symphony, conducted by Andrews Sill, will accompany Richmond Ballet's ``Giselle.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Suzanne Grandis
by CNB