Boston Ballet’s ‘Giselle’ is a ballerina-lover’s delight
Theodore Bale, Boston Herald
Saturday, May 12, 2007
You’ve heard of “The Three Tenors,” a music spectacle combining talent, glamour and competition.
Boston Ballet’s current production of “Giselle” could be called “The Three Ballerinas,” since it’s jam-packed with virtuosity and divas galore.
Healthy rivalry among ballerinas was the mainstay of romantic ballet. Nineteenth century viewers argued about who was too old, too fat, too inexperienced. While this attitude endures in opera, it’s peripheral in the modern ballet world, at least for mainstream audiences. Whenever an old ballet is stage (“Giselle” premiered in 1847), we often become preoccupied with historical details, accuracy of interpretation, authenticity of costumes and sets.
Of course these are significant matters. But when all is said and done, ballet is still entertainment, and entertainment requires stars who take risks and finish a performance in some sort of brilliant triumph. In this respect, Boston Ballet has truly delivered the goods with “Giselle.”
Opening night Thursday at the Citi Wang Theatre offered an opportunity to compare three of the company’s most intriguing ballerinas: Larissa Ponomarenko in the title role, Misa Kuranaga in the brief but challenging Peasant Pas de Deux, and Kathleen Breen Combes as the terrifying Myrtha, queen of the Wilis.
After making her entrance in Act I, Ponomarenko came downstage and simply shrugged her shoulders, skillfully summarizing everything one needs to know about Giselle.
That one gesture revealed just how innocent, idealistic and unprepared she is for a doomed romance. Technically she was perfect throughout the evening, winning bravos during her many vigorous solos.
Kuranaga’s role is straightforward - she’s a country girl honored to dance for the imposing Princess Bathilde - but what musicality emerged in her duet with Joel Prouty! She would raise one leg slowly, filling out a melodic phrase, and then point her foot in the most exacting way. When the gesture repeated, it was even more thrilling.
Breen Combes’ dramatic and lengthy solo at the beginning of Act II was filled with the most precise articulation. With each crossover she became more emphatic, and the branch of leaves in each hand only helped clarify her faultless line and balance.
BOSTON BALLET in “GISELLE”At the Citi Wang Theatre, Thursday night. Continues through May 20.
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