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Christine Skinner
To celebrate the month of love, bookings are open for Cape Town City Ballet’s captivating production of Maina Gielgud’s GISELLE. International guest artists and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Brandon Phillips, perform alongside the talented dancers of CTCB at select performances.
GISELLE will run for a limited season from 18 March until 9 April 2022 in the Artscape Opera House.
Seating remains strictly limited due to social distancing and government regulations. All Covid-19 regulations will be in place including social distancing and wearing of masks throughout.
This much-loved ballet presents a romantic story of innocent love and betrayal portrayed in two acts. Giselle, a naive and beautiful peasant girl who loves to dance, unsuspectingly falls in love with a philandering nobleman, Albrecht. He disguises himself as a peasant while pursuing her affections and when the deceit is revealed Giselle is inconsolable. In discovering that he is already betrothed, she dies of a broken heart.
The story continues in the moonlit land of the Wilies, a mysterious landscape inhabited by the vengeful spirits of virgin brides who never reached their wedding day. The ghostly Wilies torment Albrecht as he appears in search of the spirit of Giselle.
The duality of the body and spirit, evocation of the supernatural, and the tale of undying love and devotion endears this quintessentially romantic ballet to a universal audience.
GISELLE is performed to the music of Adolphe Adam , with choreography by Maina Gielgud, after Jean Coralli & Jules Perrot. The stellar creative team again includes the powerhouse duo of Designer Peter Cazalet for Décor, assisted by Michael Mitchell, and Costume Design and Lighting Design by Wilhelm Disbergen.
“We are honoured to be presenting Maina Gielgud’s production of this wonderful, timeless classic,” says Debbie Turner, CEO of Cape Town City Ballet. “We will shortly be announcing exciting news about the international guest artists who will be joining us at select performances. Tickets are still limited due to social distancing however, so don’t delay to book.We are also greatly looking forward to being accompanied once again by the CPO.”
“In 2020, we were only able to present one performance in the entire year. In 2021, despite the continuing pandemic, we presented 60 performances. We go forward into 2022 with renewed hope to produce our four key seasons, as well as other performances throughout the year.”
Trained by the great Russians including Tamara Karsavina and Lubov Egorova, and later Rosella Hightower, Maina Gielgud danced as a principal dancer with London Festival Ballet, Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, as an international guest artist partnered by Rudolf Nureyev, and as a muse of the iconic choreographer Maurice Bejart and his company Maurice Bejart’s XXth Century Ballet.
Ms Gielgud was the Director of The Australian Ballet from 1983 until 1997 and the Royal Danish Ballet from 1997 to 1999. Freelancing since 1999, she is also Artistic Advisor of the Hungarian National Ballet and both Artistic Advisor and Authorised Repetiteur of the Anton Dolin Foundation, guest teaching and coaching in major companies all over the world, as well as in renowned schools.
Her own classical productions are much in demand including her highly acclaimed staging of Giselle for The Australian Ballet (staged also for Boston Ballet, Ballet du Rhin and Houston Ballet). Ms Gielgud also stages various works choreographed by Maurice Bejart, Kenneth MacMillan, Serge Lifar and Rudolf Nureyev.
GISELLE will be presented at Artscape Opera House from 18 March to 9 April 2022.
Performances dates are:
18 March @ 19h30 (With International Guest Artist & CPO)
19 March @ 19h30 (With International Guest Artists & CPO)
21 March @ 19h30 ( With International Guest Artists & CPO)
22 March @ 19h30 (To recorded music)
23 March @ 19h30 (With International Guest Artists & CPO)
24 March @ 19h30 (To recorded music)
25 March @ 19h30 (With International Guest Artists & CPO)
26 March @ 15h00 (To recorded music)
26 March @ 19h30 (With International Guest artist. To recorded music)
30 March @ 19h30 (To recorded music)
31 March @ 19h30 (To recorded music)
1 April @ 19h30 (To recorded music)
2 April @ 15h00 (With International Guest artist. To recorded music)
2 April @ 19h30 (To recorded music)
6 April @ 19h30 (To recorded music)
7 April @ 19h30 (To recorded music)
8 April @ 19h30 (To recorded music)
9 April @ 15h00 (To recorded music)
9 April @ 19h30 (With International Guest Artist & CPO)
Tickets cost from R350 to R750 for performances featuring International Guest Artist/s and accompanied by Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tickets cost from R250 to R395 for performances to recorded music.
Tickets to matinee performances cost from R175 to R295.
Bookings can be made at Artscape Dial-A-Seat 021 421 7695 or through Computicket. Pensioners tickets can be purchased from Artscape Box Office only, at R20.00 discount per ticket. Block bookings (ten or more) - R10.00 discount per ticket through Artscape Box Office
Cape Town City Ballet is grateful for the support of all sponsors including the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Government, Food Lovers Market, Erica Manning for the Cape Town City Ballet Endowment Trust, The Christian Ludolph Marais Trust, and the Friends of Cape Town City Ballet.