‘Giselle’ Opens the State Street Ballet Season

A memorable journey of music and dance filled with passion, betrayal, and forgiveness opens the State Street Ballet season with one of the most beloved and ethereal tales of love and redemption: Giselle. 

A favorite of ballet audiences, as well as the artists who direct and perform it, State Street Ballet’s premiere of this classic — at The Granada Theatre on Saturday, October 21, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 22, at 3 p.m. —is a full-scale production with an enlarged ensemble of professional dancers, accompanied by the Santa Barbara Symphony.

The performance features staging by State Street Ballet’s new Artistic Director Megan Philipp, who recently took over that role from founding director Rodney Gustafson (Cecily MacDougall will take the reins from Gustafson as executive director in January 2024); direction from Marina Fliagina and Chauncey Parsons; choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa; and music written by Adolphe Adam.

Santa Barbara Symphony Music and Artistic Director Nir Kabaretti will conduct. “It is always a joy to collaborate with State Street Ballet, especially on one of the most celebrated classical ballets,” stated Maestro Kabaretti. “The score has some of the most beautiful symphonic pages ever written for the stage.”

And of course, there’s the additional excitement and drama associated with the live ballet. “Synchronizing the music played in the orchestra pit with the choreography on stage always creates a magical experience,” said Kabaretti.

A love story for the ages, this ghost-filled ballet is also a romantic tale of innocent love and betrayal, of philandering Count Albrecht and a trusting peasant maid, Giselle. Haunted by spirits doomed to dance through darkness, with a kaleidoscope of emotions ranging from joyous celebration to betrayal, and finally the redemption of tender forgiveness, Giselle promises to be a bewitching experience (perfect for the Halloween time of year) and an unforgettable entertainment event.

Guest artist Nerea Barrondo will dance the title role. Barrondo, who was a dancer with State Street Ballet last year, was born in the Basque Country and moved to Moscow at the age of 14 to attend the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy. She also worked with Gelsey Kirkland Ballet in New York City. 

Ryan Lenkey — a West Virginia native who trained at Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, Next Generation Ballet, Boston Ballet, School of American Ballet, and Ballet West— will perform the role of Albrecht in his first principal classical role since he joined State Street Ballet in 2021. In addition to his work at State Street Ballet, Lenkey is also the associate director of The Male Dance Connection, an organization dedicated to supporting the dance community across the country by providing a platform for male dancers to connect and grow together. —Leslie Dinaberg

Tickets for Giselle can be purchased online at the Granada box office: granadasb.org. There is also a four-performance State Street Ballet season package available (including The Nutcracker at the Granada December 16-17; Cinderella at the Lobero March 23-24, 2024; and Other Voices at the Lobero May 10-11, 2024) at a 20 percent discount. For more information about the package, see ticketing.granadasb.org/packages or call (805) 899-2222.