Wed 26 Jun - Sat 29 Jun 2013
Dance
Birmingham Royal Ballet return to the Grand Opera House Belfast with David Bintley and Galina Samsova’s stunning production of Giselle, one of the most celebrated classical ballets ever.
In a village deep in the mountains, two young people, Giselle and Loys, are deeply in love. But Loys has not been truthful with his beloved. He is actually Count Albrecht, son of the local lord, and is already betrothed to Bathilde, a lady, and his social equal.
When jealous Hilarion, a rival for Giselle’s hand, proves who Loys really is, and Bathilde arrives to claim her fiancé, the heartbreak is too much to bear. Driven mad by despair, Giselle takes her own life.
After her funeral, a sorrowful Albrecht visits her grave, but it is night and he is in terrible danger. The bitter ghosts of jilted brides rise and condemn him to dance himself to death. Only Giselle’s love, powerful enough to reach from beyond the grave, can save him; she must keep him safe until dawn breaks and he can escape, but dawn is many hours away...
With music by one of the 19th-century’s great ballet composers, Adolphe Adam, Giselle stands alongside Coppélia and Swan Lake as one of the most celebrated classical ballets. David Bintley and Galina Samsova’s stunning production, clad in gorgeous designs by Hayden Griffin, stays true to the classical spirit and steps of the original.
