National Ballet of Japan’s Giselle: a triumphant London debut

Yui Yonezawa as Giselle and Shun Izawa as Albrecht in Miyako Yoshida's Giselle

Risako Ikeda and Shunsuke Mizui in the Peasant Pas de deux in Giselle

Yui Yonezawa as Giselle in Miyako Yoshida’s Giselle

Shun Izawa as Albrecht and Akari Yoshida as Myrtha with National Ballet of Japan in Giselle

By Graham Watts, 25 July 2025

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“her dancing was weightless with perfect quicksilver feet allied to palpable emotional sensitivity”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 24 July 2025

Giselle (Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, Miyako Yoshida, Alastair Marriott)

National Ballet of Japan

Paul Murphy, Conductor

Miyako Yoshida, Director

Dick Bird, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Rick Fisher, Lighting Designer

Royal Ballet Sinfonia

Yui Yonezawa, Dancer

Shun Izawa, Dancer

Akari Yoshida, Dancer

Risako Ikeda, Dancer

Shunsuke Mizui, Dancer

A new Albrecht makes a polished Giselle shine even brighter

Deborah Weiss, 7th March

A last minute injury to Natalia Osipova does not mar the magic of Sir Peter Wright's Giselle as Marianela Núñez steps in to partner Patricio Revé.

****1

A Valentine’s Day Giselle in Atlanta: Romantic excellence

Rebecca Ehrhardt, 14th February

A lovely production of Giselle by the increasingly good and ever-growing Atlanta Ballet.

****1

The RB: Peter Wright’s Giselle is as near perfection as you can get

Amanda Jennings, 14th February

Sir Peter Wright’s Giselle was given a well-deserved, thunderous ovation on opening night. A near perfect rendition of the ballet from all quarters of the Company was deeply satisfying.

*****

American Ballet Theatre: Super-Giselle lives up to the hype (mostly)

Ivy Lin, 21st June

ABT's Giselle was the kind of glamorous, old-school ABT night of yore. You sensed the entire company leveled up for the occasion. One hopes that Smirnova will return in the future.

*****

National Ballet of Japan's revival of Giselle: a dramatic return

Naomi Mori, 10th April

National Ballet of Japan has revived their production of Giselle, ahead of their tour to the Royal Opera House in London, replicating the triumphant success it had in 2022.

*****

ENB in Mary Skeaping's Giselle: authentic, exquisite dancing

Amanda Jennings, 15th January

English National Ballet give a meticulous account of Mary Skeaping's glorious Giselle.

*****

More reviews...

Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.