Saturday November 16, 2002
Festival’s fresh look at an old story
The Providence Journal
Cover of Lifebeat, Section D
Bryan Rourke

In Festival Ballet Providence’s opening production of its 25th season, the old and famous romantic ballet seems fresh ‘ from its set, costumes, music, storytelling and dance.

Giselle, which continues tonight and tomorrow at the VMA Arts & Cultural Center, is, at moments, slow, but then falling in love, being betrayed and finally forgiving takes time.

That’s the story, in two acts. It’s not hard to understand. So you can devote your attention to aesthetics, which starts with a stupendous set, rented from Kentucky’s Louisville Ballet. There are a couple of cute an convincing country cottages, and several overarching trees, which in the dark and dour second act look ominous and ornery, like the ones from the Wizard of Oz.

Meanwhile, the dance you see depends on the show. The principal parts are played by two different casts. Tonight, a graceful and expressive Tatiana Berenova plays Giselle; and able and long-legged Pavel Homko plays Count Albrecht.

Giselle, a peasant, falls in love with Albrecht, who disguises himself as a peasant. Eventually Giselle discovers the deceit, learns her lover is engaged to another and dies of heartbreak and enters the world of the Wilis, which is populated with women who died before their weddings or else were betrayed by unfaithful fiances, which would explain their hostility toward men. At night, they lure men to dance to their deaths.

The dancing that Homko does at the end of the second act looks tiring and, as the story goes, it would do him in if Berenova didn’t take over some of his Wilis-imposed dancing duties, and spare his life.

The Wilis, all 16 of them, dressed in ghostly white tutus and veils, are a sight to see, elegant and enchanting, in movement and appearance. However, their introduction lasts a little too long, slowing the storytelling.

In all productions of the ballet, Jaclyn Ricci plays an impressive and imperious Queen of the Wilis. Her expression and movements are cold and controlled, diametrically different from when she plays a spirited peasant in the first act, in a nearly show-stealing pas de deux.

If you’re going tonight, you’re in luck. Ricci performs the pas de deux with Eivar Martinez, a muscular dancer who soars and pirouettes with power. Their dance doesn’t add to the story, but it does add panache to the performance.

The music for the ballet, which is beautiful and romantic, is performed by a 33-member orchestra conducted by Edward Markward. Mihailo Djuric, the company’s artistic director chose this ballet to celebrate Festival Ballet’s beginnings, since Giselle was its second full-length production, staged in 1979.

Performances are tonight at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. Tickets, $12 to $50, are available through Festival Ballet Providence, 353-1129, and online at www.festivalballet.com , through Ticketmaster outlets at 331-1122 and the VMA box office at 272-4862