Latest incarnation of Giselle even more compelling as two ballerinas return to RWB roots

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This article was published 01/10/2015 (4031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet kicked off its 76th season with one of the most enduring ballets blancs in the classical repertoire, the ghostly Giselle, which tells the tale of shattered lives and supernatural spirits, with love (eventually) conquering all.

But its latest incarnation became an equally compelling story of two beloved ballerinas returning to their Prairie roots. Both Jo-Ann Sundermeier, the company’s former principal dancer, and prima ballerina assoluta Evelyn Hart are marking their triumphant return to the RWB stage. The former is reprising the title role of Giselle (all leads alternate); the latter is portraying Giselle’s mother, Berthe.

Last presented here in March 2012, the full-length narrative production regarded as the Hamlet of ballets features choreography performed en pointe by Sir Peter Wright after Marius Petipa. The 115-minute show staged by Desmond Kelly also includes rustic sets and costumes by Peter Farmer, with Nicholas Cernovitch’s lighting design. RWB music director Tadeusz Biernacki ably led the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra throughout Adolphe Adam’s romantic score during its two acts.

In a nutshell, doomed young peasant girl Giselle dies of a broken heart after discovering her beloved Count Albrecht (principal dancer Liang Xing), disguised as villager Loys, is engaged to Bathilde (corps de ballet member Sara Po Ting Yeung). After she is inducted into the Wilis, a group of female spirits jilted before their wedding day and ruled by Queen Myrtha (principal dancer Sophia Lee), she ultimately forgives him and rescues him from the Wilis, who are hell-bent on revenge.

Sundermeier’s artistry has only deepened over the years; the mature dance artist, who first joined the RWB in 2003, danced this role in 2012. After spending the last two years with San Francisco’s Smuin Ballet, this ballerina is back where she belongs. With her fierce technique matched by her acting ability, the lithe dancer morphed from coltish peasant girl to ethereal spirit, driven at all costs to save her beloved Count. An early highlight proved to be Act I’s famous “mad scene,” in which she plucked at imaginary daisies while growing increasingly unravelled by grief. Hart’s meticulous coaching during rehearsals — the role helped establish her legendary career during the RWB’s company première in 1982 — ensured every step was carefully placed; every mimed gesture filled with meaning.

Now in his third season with the RWB, Xing has also grown over the years. His own emotional trajectory began with his joyfully playful Loys, in love with Giselle. He spars with pelted forester Hilarion (second soloist Egor Zdor), before eventually collapsing with grief as the anguished Count. His solid partnering of Sundermeier during their Act II Grand Pas De Deux included effortless, sky-high lifts, the trust between them palpable. The elegant dancer also bounded across the stage during his variation with the speed of a gazelle, sentenced to death by grand jeté following Myrtha’s decree.

Lee performed her role of Queen Myrtha as a woman possessed. She commanded her razor-sharp corps of Wilis — as well as the stage — with every steely, icy stare bearing witness to her dramatic characterization. She exuded authority during the exposed opening Act II solo that became her own private soliloquy, projecting power and purpose grounded by controlled technical precision and flawless musicality.

Hart — who performed with the RWB from 1976 to 2005, before leaving the company to pursue an independent dance career in Toronto — appeared here last year in James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons. She received instantaneous, loud applause upon her arrival onstage Wednesday night, a visceral testament to the affection local balletomanes still have for her.

Although she no longer rises en pointe, Hart is going strong at age 59, still able to mesmerize with her chameleonic ability to flesh out her characters in nuanced detail. Early during Act I, Hart pulled her wool shawl around her willowy shoulders, gazing upwards, and you knew she was home. Her harrowing scenes with Sundermeier were more chilling than the Wilis’ mist-enveloped scenes.

The production also included two pillars of the local arts community marking their RWB debuts: Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre artistic director Steven Schipper as the well-tailored Duke; and Rainbow Stage artistic director Ray Hogg’s as Leader of the Hunt. Their presence added gravitas to the entire show, despite the oddly surreal image of Hart bowing deeply before them.

The Act I Peasant Pas de Six that celebrates the end of the grape harvest showcased the dancing strength and the cultural diversity of the RWB, led by Sarah Davey, Kostyantyn Keshyshev, Alanna McAdie, Yosuke Mino, Chenxin Liu and Luzemberg Santana. A multitude of RWB School Professional Division students infused the show with their youthful energy.

Giselle is not exactly a cutting-edge choice with which to open a season. Compare, for instance, last year’s groundbreaking Going Home Star: Truth and Reconciliation, or the previous season’s The Handmaid’s Tale, both of which resonated with modern relevance. However, this production speaks to the continuity of generations that has always been a hallmark of this venerable company, and it was awarded a standing ovation by the opening-night crowd who seemed to approve.

holly.harris@shaw.ca