To celebrate its 20th annual season, Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) presented the beloved, Romantic-era Giselle. The program ran Thursday, April 30th through Sunday, May 3rd at the Music Center’s 2,000 seat Ahmanson Theater in downtown Los Angeles, an ambitious undertaking in terms of ticket sales for a company with mostly local recognition. And yet, sizeable audiences showed up for this renowned work, which first premiered in 1841 at the Paris Opera Ballet and has been restaged worldwide ever since.
Under the Artistic Direction of Melissa Barak, LAB honors Giselle’s lineage with a program note on the choreography: “Staging and choreography by Melissa Barak after Jean Coralli & Jules Perrot, after Marius Petipa.” This production therefore nods to Giselle’s earliest choreographers and to the iterative nature of ballet repertory, while locating Barak’s interpretation as part of a long legacy. The company did not perform with a live orchestra, and surprisingly, program credits did not mention which recording of Adolphe Adam’s composition was used.
Los Angeles Ballet – Act I of “Giselle” – Villagers – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
Period scenic and costume design by Peter Farmer, courtesy of Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, further salutes history, creating a romantic-era visual world – or at least how we imagine one. In the first act, painted wooden flats construct the facade of a humble cottage; the wings are impressionistically painted to suggest trees surrounding a village center. In Act Two, the upstage scrim becomes a painting of a full moon over a still lake, exquisitely lit by Lighting Designer Nathan W. Scheuer.
Done well, this ballet has the potential to break the viewer’s heart or at least open a portal to a shared sense of human pain. Like other significant works from the mid-late 1800s, including novels by Tolstoy or symphonies by Tchaikovsky, Giselle deals with matters of the soul. And so, a certain gravitas is required from the dancers to make the emotional weight felt, and to avoid the trap of attempting earnestness and ending up with camp.
Los Angeles Ballet’s “Giselle” (Act I) – Kate Inoue as Giselle and Marcos Ramirez as Albrecht – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
While LAB dancers gave a committed performance they couldn’t quite summon such transcendence. Many of the artists’ biographies emphasize elite training, Youth American Grand Prix awards and company apprenticeships rather than substantive professional experience outside of LAB, which gives the impression that most of these dancers are still early in their careers. No doubt they will continue to develop under Barak’s direction, and we as a city will be lucky to watch, but a ballet like Giselle needs a cast with the grit of life experience in order to achieve spiritual gravity.
Los Angeles Ballet’s “Giselle” (Act II) – Kate Inoue as Giselle and Marcos Ramirez as Albrecht – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
One exception to this was Sarah-Ashley Chicola in the title role, whose depth became more palpable as the ballet progressed, particularly in Act II. On a technical level, Chicola’s dancing is bright and clear, with lofted jumps and a swiftness as she travels through space. Evan Gorbell as Albrecht partnered her on Friday, and while his solo dancing had shining moments, their partnering lacked the one-minded synchronization seen in top-tier companies. A few shaky landings from Gorbell also distracted from some of his variations. In terms of physical type, Lilly Fife was a strong casting choice as Queen of the Wilis, but her performance did not effectively communicate otherworldliness. Poppy Coleman and Jacob Soltero on the other hand, were an energizing and memorable duet as the Peasant Pas (Friday night cast.) In general, this production could benefit from a theater director to elevate the storytelling, although the performance must have been different on Saturday evening, when Skylar Brandt, of ABT made a guest appearance as Giselle alongside Jarod Curley (also of ABT) as Albrecht.
Los Angeles Ballet’s “Giselle” (Act II) – Aviva Gelfer MundI as Myrtha – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
One curious casting decision was Guest Artist Matisse Love as Giselle’s mother – a character role with no dancing. This seemed odd, given Love’s extensive international touring career as a soloist. Ballet fans might recognize Love from her recent role in the Netflix series Étoile, or her appearance in Kate Hudson’s music video Right on Time.
Los Angeles Ballet’s “Giselle” (Act II) – Marcos Ramierz as Albrecht – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
Compared to many ballet organizations across the United States, LAB remains relatively new. San Francisco Ballet was founded in 1933; New York City Ballet in 1948; Boston and Houston Ballets in the 1960s. It takes time to attract committed donors willing to invest in a long term vision, to build up a budget ample enough to attract top talent, and to cultivate a loyal audience. Although twenty years is a significant moment in any organization’s history – for a ballet company – LAB is still very young.
Los Angeles Ballet’s “Giselle” (Act II) – Corps de Ballet – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
The dancers on Friday night’s program were: Sarah-Ashley Chicola (Giselle), Evan Gorbell (Albrecht), Nick Sedano (Hilarion), Poppy Coleman & Jacob Soltero (Peasant Pas), Anna Jacobs (Bathilde), Matisse Love (Berthe), Lilly Fife (Myrtha), Natalia Burns, Taylor Hugens, Chloe Oronoz, Holly Bratkovich, Sarah Hurty, Anna Funkakura, Cassidy Cocke, Cleo Taneja, Brigitte Edwards, Paige Wilkey, Ashley Chung, Lilly Leech, Rony Baseman, Theo Swank, Marco Biella, Felipe Zapiola, Bryce Broedell, John Deckle, Lilly Olvera, Olivia Flanyak, Evan Swenson, Sherwood Sheen, Julianne Kinasiewicz, Abigail Gross, Brigitte Edwards, Lilly Olvera, Leya Graham.
To learn more about the Los Angeles Ballet, please visit their website.
**Please note that these photos were taken at Sunday, May 3rd’s performance.
Written by Annie Kahane for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Los Angeles Ballet’s “Giselle” (Act II) – Kate Inoue as Giselle – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
