For Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, it is a staple for a ballet company to include ballet classics in its programming to develop the artistry and technique of its dancers.
For its 26th season, Ballet Manila will be performing Giselle, one of the most romantic and popular classical ballets. It follows the story of Giselle who falls in love with Albrecht, not knowing he is already engaged. When she finds out, she dies of a broken heart and becomes a wili and joins the souls of girls similarly wronged by their men. The repentant Albrecht visits the grave of Giselle who protects him from Myrtha, the vengeful queen of the wilis.
The ballet serves as an ultimate test for the ballerina who steps into the title character – a trusting peasant maid who innocently falls in love with a philandering nobleman.
“Giselle is a dream role of every ballerina blessed with individuality, a light grand ballon, the ability to fall in love and go mad upon betrayal, the ability to float in the air as if by magic, and the lyrical grace needed to save her beloved from certain death,” enthused Macuja-Elizalde.
With its romantic lyricism and tragedy, Giselle is a very sensitive material that can bring up the maturity of the artists. With the haunting music of Adolphe Adam and the timeless choreography of Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa, it is also known for its precise work, particularly seen in the female corps dancing as the ethereal spirits.
“It demands the utmost energy and acting ability. When Giselle is dancing strenuously in difficult parts, the ballerina must make it look like she is a spirit floating lightly on the air. Being a two-act ballet, it is relatively easier to restage with a smaller company although you need at least 16 strong girls to make up your wilis corps de ballet,” shared Macuja-Elizalde.
Having had the chance to debut in the full-length Giselle with the Kirov Ballet, as the Mariinsky was known in the 1980s, Macuja-Elizalde says it is a role that must be danced again and again as it polishes one’s skills over time.
For its next ballet offering, Ballet Manila will be performing Giselle with Renata Shakirova and Alexei Timofeyev, world-renowned ballet superstars from the prestigious Mariinsky Ballet, for the restaging of the classic ballet.
The special collaboration was made possible by Macuja Elizalde’s close ties with the Mariinsky Ballet (formerly Kirov Ballet), where she trained and became the first foreign soloist in the mid-1980s.
“The fact that we are collaborating with guest artists and star performers Renata Shakirova and Alexsei Timofeyev will always bring out the best in the company. I think that Renata’s true romantic style of dancing, and the fact that she is dancing with her real-life prince Alexei, is going to transform Ballet Manila’s Giselle to a Giselle of another level,” she adds. The world-renowned Russian dancers, incidentally, are married to each other in real life.
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Shakirova joined Mariinsky Ballet in 2015 and was immediately given her first principal role as Kitri in Don Quixote. That same year, she was listed among the 25 to Watch by Dance Magazine. In 2016, she competed in the Bolshoi Ballet Competition where she won first prize.
Meanwhile, Leningrad-born Timofeyev joined Mariinsky Ballet in 2004 and is currently the soloist of the dance company. As a soloist, he has several accolades under his belt, including prize-winner at the VII International Ballet Competition in Seoul in 2010; diploma-recipient at the XVI International Rudolf Nureyev Ballet Festival in 2010, where he was cited for his superb levels of professionalism and contribution to the development of ballet in the Republic of Bashkortostan; and diploma-recipient at the XI International Ballet Dancers’ and Choreographers’ Competition in Moscow in 2009.
On their first Philippine performance, Shakirova looks forward to connecting with the Filipino audience.
“What’s important to be able to connect with the audience, wherever they are, but especially with a Filipino audience, is to highlight the small nuances that are included in the performance, like the turn of the head or the eye-to-eye contact with your partner, so that the emotions in the story can be conveyed and that the audience can enjoy the show.”
Timofeyev is excited to perform in front of a new audience. “We are feeling the good kind of vibes with the Filipino audience, and we want them to live the story of Giselle with us on stage. It’s going to be our first time, and we hope to share that special experience with all of them.”
Complementing their performances is a dynamic ensemble made up of young and veteran dancers from Ballet Manila, which is the main change for the restaging of Giselle.
“Ballet Manila Corps de Ballet is made up of more young members who have just joined the company post-pandemic – standing side by side with Ballet Manila dancers who are veterans and have performed the ballet many times before,” shared Macuja-Elizalde.
Ballet Manila’s principal dancers Abigail Oliveiro and Mark Sumaylo will headline the performance on Aug. 31 at 1:00 p.m., while the world-renowned duo Renata and Alexei will take on the title roles on Aug. 31 at 8:00 p.m. and Sept. 1 at 5:00 p.m. All performances will be at the Aliw Theater.
For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph. To know more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph.
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