As we found our seats, the music instantly set the mood for Giselle, a ballet that would later bring tears to many an audience member’s eyes. The lights dimmed and the buzz in the theatre quietened down; anticipation tangible in the room. Then, the heavy, red curtains glided open and revealed a beautiful set – large trees with shadows playing in the background, and a little village with Giselle’s mom, Berthe’s humble home near the edge of the stage.
Giselle – A Love Built On Lies?
Light-footed, the talented Ryoko Yagyu took to the stage, stealing everyone’s hearts in her role as Giselle from the get-go. Even amidst a rather sad storyline, she instantly grabbed the audience’s attention with her incredible balance and poise – a peasant girl from a Rhineland village, quick to fall in love and innocently unaware of the lies that would soon destroy her.
Ignorant of local forester, Hilarion’s (Mario Gaglione) love, Giselle fell madly in love with a man she believed to be a villager named Loys. With his worldly wit and charm, Count Albrecht (Ivan Domiciano) soon won her over and together, they celebrated the end of the grape harvest as Hilarion watched from the sidelines, trying to plot his plan to reveal Albrecht’s true identity.
On stage, this celebration was depicted beautifully, with an undertone of disbelief constantly looming – whether through the cast’s brilliant acting on stage, the incredible lighting or the clever notes guiding each step on stage. As Count Albrecht’s lies increasingly came to the surface, tension slowly built up – not only on stage, but considering the utter silence in the crowd, seemingly in the audience too.
As Hilarion constantly tried to unravel and unveil the truth, it soon became clear that Albrecht had been betrothed to someone else all along. When Bathilde, daughter of the Duke of Courland, claimed Albrecht as her fiancé, it all just became too much for poor Giselle, who then died of a broken heart.
A Disturbingly Beautiful Depiction of the Afterlife
An eerie second half followed, with all elements – from lighting and staging to costumes and dancers – intricately woven together to portray the ultimate final scenes. Ballerinas in white, long tutus portrayed the Wilis – ghosts of young girls who have been jilted and have died before their wedding day. These ghosts – eerily yet beautifully depicted by morbid-looking dancers gliding across the stage on pointe – avenged themselves by dancing any man they came across during the dark hours of the night, to death.
Naturally, Giselle also got called from the grave, to be initiated into the Wilis’ rites. Sadly, the Wilis pursued Hilarion, who’d come to pay his respects at Giselle’s grave, exhausting him with dancing and driving him to his death. Finally, when Albrecht visited her grave, flowers in hand, Giselle appeared to him. The Wilis’ Queen, Myrthe, fell vengefully upon Albrecht, whom she also condemned to dance until his death. But, Giselle continuously tried to sustain him and just as his death seemed imminent, dawn broke. The lighting on stage subtly changed, signaling a new dawn and instantly, daylight destroyed the Wilis’ power. The lying Count was saved – only for Giselle and the ghostly dancers to return to their graves and for him to stay behind, broken-hearted and alone.
South African Ballet Is Here To Stay
In this disturbingly beautiful ballet, lighting design (by Simon King) and set design (by Johan Engels) played an incredibly important role in reflecting not only harvest celebrations, but also those final, ghostly scenes. In fact, this adaptation of Giselle – choreographed by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa and produced and staged by Angela Malan – proves that South African ballet is truly something one can be proud of. And, with Joburg Ballet celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, even more so!
Whilst not running at Joburg Theatre anymore, Giselle is coming to Pretoria at the South African State Theatre from 20 to 22 February 2026.
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