The curtain rose on a desolate stage, populated by a backdrop of a grave-ridden dark forest and a single solitary grave with the name “Giselle” etched in stone. Taking center stage in a pool of moonlight was the bereaved huntsman Hilarion (played by Noam Tsivkin), who placed a crown of flowers on the grave before lightning split the blackness. Thus, Act Two of State Street Ballet’s Giselle began.
It was an afternoon of romantic tragedy at The Granada Theatre, with the artists of the State Street Ballet (SSB) and the Santa Barbara Symphony showcasing once again why they are sought-after the world over. Standout performances included guest artist Nerea Barrondo (Giselle), who looked as if she barely touched the ground and brought an ethereal grace to the part even outside the show’s fantastical ending, and company dancers Ryan Lenkey and Noam Tsivkin (Count Albrecht and Hilarion, respectively), who both competed for Giselle’s heart with such zeal that it was felt well beyond the bounds of the stage.
Choreographers Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot deserve special acknowledgement for crafting a show that delighted from beginning to end. I especially enjoyed the different feel between the dances of Acts One and Two. Act One was grounded in village life and the mundane, and as such, the dances were more individualized and self-contained. While large numbers did occur, they were infrequent, and always with a cultural justification such as a Harvest Festival. The villagers danced as people do, sharing their gaiety and skills to entice and show off. Act Two was quite different. Grief and the ethereal reigned as the Wilis (the spirits of young women dead before their wedding) moved with an overwhelming synchronicity beyond the mere human. It felt as if I was being pulled into their dark forest and forced to dance to my death, so alluring were their movements.
And words cannot begin to describe what a treat the union of the SSB and the Santa Barbara Symphony was. Conducted by Nir Kabaretti, the Symphony musicians rose and fell and danced upon the notes alongside their ballet counterparts, with the wind and string sections particularly notable. Giselle was an excellent opening performance for State Street Ballet’s 2023-24 season, setting the bar high for what is to come. As a feast for both the eyes and ears, it whetted my appetite for what comes next.
