Cinestudio to feature Bolshoi Ballet's "Giselle"

SOPHIE GOURLEY ’19

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

     The distinguished Bolshoi Ballet Company is based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia and is one of the oldest classical ballet companies in the world.  Due to their popularity and global admiration, the company live streams their performances in nearly 500 cinemas across the United States and Canada. Trinity College’s very own, Cinestudio is proud to present the live HD satellite feed of the Bolshoi Ballet’s Giselle.

     Giselle is a romantic ballet production, choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich. Initially performed in Europe in 1841, Giselle is the story of a poor girl who falls in love with a nobleman disguised as a peasant.  After discovering the reality of his identity, and realizing that their social standings prohibit them from a life together, she dies of a broken heart.  The play then resumes with Giselle’s life after death, accompanied by The Wilis, a group of female spirits seeking revenge on the lives of the men who caused them heartbreak.

     New York Times dance critic Allister McCauley states: “The old tale — which has its roots in the medieval reports of dance mania in the Rhineland — of first love, class distinction, deceit, heartbreak, madness and love beyond the grave was alive. It showed, above all, dance as a vital force.”  Priscilla Frank, the Arts and Entertainment Editor of the Huffington Post describes Giselle as, “arguably the most devastating romance ever to be translated into dance.” In Frank’s interview with Evgenia Obraztsova, the leading ballerina discusses Giselle’s role after her early death in the performance, “I personally think it is a soul. A soul that is alive and tells a real story that lives on after her death. A philosophical question, the second act is not easy, a hard nut for a ballerina.”

     It is clear that Giselle is no ordinary ballet. The story is emotional, intense and dramatic. The company’s portrayal of this classic is nothing but exceptional.  Ballet Bag, a website dedicated to exploring the modernity of the art form of ballet said that the Bolshoi company style is, “characterized by its power. It combines phenomenal technique and athleticism, expressiveness and dramatic intensity.”

     For all those interested in dance, artistic expression, or just a timeless story, the live stream performance of Giselle will be held at the Cinestudio on Sunday October 11, at 12:55 p.m.