CPYB will perform Giselle at Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts:
1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 21
2 p.m. Sunday, April 22
Desire, deception, betrayal and forgiveness from beyond the grave come to the Whitaker stage
Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s (CPYB) dramatic full-length production of Giselle will be performed at Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. This production marks a world premiere staging by Alan Hineline, CPYB Resident Choreographer, after choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa. Giselle runs for three performances only: 1 & 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 22. Tickets range from $38-$14 and may be purchased by calling 717.214.ARTS (2787), in person at 222 Market Street in Harrisburg, or online at whitakercenter.org.
Since its Paris premiere in 1841,
Giselle, ou Les Wilis, the original work’s full title, has become the epitome of ballet romanticism. Giselle tells of a young peasant girl cruelly betrayed by a nobleman disguised as a commoner. Unable to withstand the prince’s deception, Giselle dies of a broken heart only to join the ranks of the supernatural Wilis, restless spirits who have died from madness and heartbreak before their wedding day. As vengeful as they are entrancing, the Wilis lure young men into their lair – driving them to dance until they die. In a heartfelt display of forgiveness from beyond the grave, Giselle saves her beloved from certain death at the hands of her ghostly sisters.
Giselle is one of my all-time favorite ballet stories,” said Hineline. “I’m excited to work with the CPYB dancers in bringing the story to life in ways that only they can.”
Dancing the lead role of this 170 year-old classical ballet demands technical perfection, poise, and dramatic skills. Two coaches will bring both their in-depth understanding and experience to the ballet: Canada’s National Ballet School faculty member and former National Ballet of Uzbekistan principal dancer Tatiana Tchernova and former San Francisco Ballet principal dancer and CPYB alumna Tina LeBlanc, a legendary Giselle in her own right.
Giselle combines every aspect of what makes a ballet great: passionate acting, breathtaking classical dance, exciting score, and a romantic story that captures the joys of love and despair of heartbreak,” commented CPYB Founding Artistic Director Marcia Dale Weary. “Giselle has long been one of my favorite ballets and I’m overjoyed to bring it to my students and the Whitaker stage.”
Music director and conductor Dr. Cheung Chau brings the dancing to life with the Central Pennsylvania Symphony’s live performance of Adolphe Adam’s lyrical score. The use of well-developed themes illuminates the ballet’s musicality – a perfect accompaniment to a visual spectacle for the audience to get lost in.
It is in Giselle that Petipa, who restaged the work in 1884, created the “ballet-blanc,” or corps of women, in white that has become a symbol of classical ballet. Veteran costume director Betty Smith utilizes airy, layered fabrics for the corps of 16 Wilis creating the illusion of appearance of the dancer floating delicately from the ground and moving skillfully into and through the air.
