The National Ballet of Japan opened their 2022–23 Season with a new production of Giselle. It is artistic director Miyako Yoshida’s first experience of directing a new work and she chose to work with choreographer Alastair Marriott, her former colleague at The Royal Ballet, and their production was designed by the renowned Dick Bird, with lighting design by Rick Fisher.
Yoshida’s aim was to create a Giselle which is authentic to the original 19th-century Romantic ballet style and plot, with the drama leading the action, musical and movement united in the English style she learned in her career at the Royal Ballet. She worked closely with Marriott and his collaborator Jonathan Howells to create this production, and sought out to make a dramatic and coherent ballet.
The results are marvellous. The set designs are stunning; the village is surrounded by tall white birch trees and red autumn leaves, with Giselle’s house quite a large and fine one, as her mother Berthe runs a vineyard. This design brings the audience easily inside Giselle’s world. Although the main plot is authentic, there are some details added to make the story multi-dimensional. The daisy flower used for the fortune-telling is from a bouquet placed on Giselle’s porch by Hilarion, who is also in love with Giselle. The peasant pas de deux is more than a divertissement, the couple lead the villagers' corps de ballet and the harvest festival, giving them more prominence on stage. Another impressive character is a child dressed as Bacchus, God of wine, who crowns Giselle as the Queen of the Harvest, and witnesses her tragic death.
Act 2's graveyard, where Giselle is buried, is otherworldly breathtaking. Inspired by The Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, numerous crosses and a hill at the back create a spooky, mysterious atmosphere. This is where the Wilis, the young women betrayed by their lovers, haunt and kill any man who enters at night.
On opening night, the title role was danced by Ayako Ono, a delicate and versatile dancer. Ono has the natural sweetness that makes her stand out in the crowd, and with the stellar technique and acting ability that make us believe she is deeply in love, but frail and could lose her life because of this. She has great musicality, strong footwork and an eloquent upper body that can tell the story with her movements. Marriott’s choreography has much focus on the épaulements and the use of the upper body, and she danced the steps light and beautifully. During the Mad Scene, Giselle's heart is shattered and she completely loses her mind with the shock of being betrayed by the love of her life. After becoming a Willi, Ono's dancing became even lighter and more ethereal, but still conveyed the warmth of a human being, full of forgiveness and unconditional love. She has proved herself as one of the very best interpreters of this iconic role.
Count Albrecht, her untrue lover, was played by Kosuke Okumura. He portrayed the role as a flirty young man, his affair with Giselle just a game for him as he has a wealthy fiancée, Bathilde. But when Giselle loses her mind and falls dead, suddenly he realises how much he really loved her. In the second act he is full of remorse, and he even looks as though he would die of a broken heart, lying next to her grave. An ideal danseur noble, Okumura carries beautiful footwork, high ballon with elegance, and his entrechats were impressive, along with his stylish partnering skills, carrying Giselle as though she had no weight.
The corps de ballet dancing the Wilis were unified and their dancing was without the noise of pointe shoes, creating a spellbinding, serene atmosphere, although some of their patterns looked quite unusual. Asako Terada as Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis was a commanding, charismatic figure, ruthless but overwhelmed by the power of Giselle’s love. Special mention should be given to Risako Ikeda and Shogo Hayami in the peasant pas de deux, displaying polished classical technique in the choreography which was amplified more than usual with turns and leaps crammed in.
Yoshida and Marriott were successful in adding much drama, depth, and fresh air to this 19th-century classic in the British ballet style, and this beautiful production should be widely accepted into other companies with its genuine quality. Ukrainian maestro Alexei Baklan conducted passionately and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra gave a beautiful interpretation of Adam's score, the viola solo in Act 2 being a highlight.
