Giselle Audience Production Guide - Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

AUDIENCE PRODUCTION GUIDEGiselle

Audience Production Guide forPittsburgh Ballet Theatre’sGiselleOctober 26-28, 2012The Benedum Center for the Performing ArtsProduction SponsorsIn-Step SponsorPittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Arts Education programs are also supported by the following:Allegheny Regional Asset DistrictAllegheny Technologies, Inc.Buncher Family FoundationAnne L. and George H. Clapp Charitable andEducational TrustClaude Worthington Benedum FoundationCleveland Brothers Equipment Co., Inc.Direct Energy BusinessDominion FoundationEat ‘n Park Restaurants, Inc.ESB BankFirst Commonwealth BankHenry C. Frick Educational Fund of The BuhlFoundationThe Huntington National BankGENCO Supply Chain SolutionsThe Grable FoundationHefren-Tillotson, Inc.The Heinz EndowmentsNet Health SystemsPeoples Natural GasPennsylvania Council on the ArtsPennsylvania Department of Community andEconomic DevelopmentPNC BankPPG Industries, Inc.Richard King Mellon FoundationJames M. and Lucy K. SchoonmakerFoundationEdith L. Trees Charitable TrustUPMC Health PlanHilda M. Willis FoundationCover photo by Lois Greenfield. Artists: Alexandra Kochisand Christopher BudzynskiProduction Guide created by PBT’s Department of ArtsEducation and Community Engagement, 20122

Contents4 Romantic Ballet5 The BalletGiselle: A Story BalletDid You Know? Ballet-fantastiqueSynopsis of the Ballet7 Did You Know? He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not8 The Making of Giselle: The Cast of Characters9 The Making of Giselle: A Timeline11 The Music12 The ChoreographyThe Creators13 The Modern Production14 Did You Know? Ballet-blanc15 MimeSignature StepsThat Gives Me the Willies!16 Did You Know? Other Wilis stories17 PBT’s GisellePBT Ballet Mistress Marianna Tcherkassky: “One ofthe Greatest Giselles”18 Costume and Scenic Designer Peter Farmer19 PBT and Giselle20 Alternative Productions of GiselleReview • Reflect • RespondHow the Critics RespondedFor Further Thought21 For The Kids22 The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts23 Sources3

The BalletChoreography Jean Coralli and Jules PerrotStaged at PBT by Terrence S. Orr and Marianna TcherkasskyMusic Adolph AdamLibretto Jules Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile GautierWorld Premiere The Paris Opera, June 28, 1841Giselle: A Story BalletIt’s such a beautiful, simple story. I guess on the one hand…it’s kind of improbable. But youknow, not really…who doesn’t love somebody enough that you would just die…just die of abroken heart, or feel like you were going to, anyway? It’s not so unbelievable…the essence of these feelings are real.-Julie Kent, American Ballet Theatre Principal DancerIt's got one of the best stories—boy loves girl; girl meets another boy; girl falls in love; boydupes girl; girl dies; girl joins band of zombie women who murder first boy;girl saves the second lying and cheating boy. I mean, does it get more twisted?--Jenny Dalzell, Dance Teacher Magazine…as I started…delving into the (story)…I tried to make it as real as possible. Tothink every step was a sentence...To really make the audience believe.-Former ABT principal dancer Cynthia GregoryThere are two kinds of ballets: those without a storyline (also called plotless, conceptand abstract ballets) and those with a definite narrative and set of characters. Giselle isone of the most famous story ballets. There is no denying that Giselle’s narrative is alittle far-fetched, which can challenge the dancers to make the story and charactersbelievable. Perhaps more than any other ballet, Giselle forces dancers to invest emotionand sincerity in their roles. If they can convince the audience to suspend their disbelief,the audience (and the dancers themselves) might recognize something of themselves inthis enduring story.Did You Know? Ballet-fantastiqueIn the 1800s Giselle was advertised as a ballet-fantastique, meaning that the ballet involved adark and powerful spiritual world and/or supernatural or fantastical elements. By contrast, TheSleeping Beauty was considered a ballet-feerie, with its more benign fairies.Check it Out! At the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP)The original libretto (story outline) by Gautier and Saint-Georges for the ballet is available at thelibrary, in Cyril Beaumont’s The Ballet Called Giselle, chapter 4. Available at CLP Main Branch(Oakland) GV1790.G5 B4 19695Synopsis of the BalletAct IThe setting is a vineyard village bordering the Rhine River in Germany. In the earlymorning Count Albrecht, accompanied by his squire Wilfred, arrives. Albrecht isdisguised as a peasant, whom the villagers have come to know as Loys. The Count hasbeen captivated by the beautiful peasant maiden, Giselle, whose love of life and free

spirit expressed by her passion to dance are in great contrast to the burdens of his lifeas a nobleman. Albrecht and Wilfred retreat inside a cottage that neighbors Giselle'shome.Hilarion, the village huntsman and a gamekeeper to the court, who is also in lovewith Giselle, returns from his early morning chores and pauses before her cottage. Thevillagers soon join him. They all concur that Giselle shall be named the new HarvestQueen and depart to the vineyards, where they will harvest the last of the grapes beforethe Harvest Festival.Count Albrecht emerges from his cottage disguised as Loys. Wilfred inspects hisdisguise and expresses some concern. Nonetheless, Albrecht dismisses him, andWilfred leaves reluctantly. Albrecht, in his guise as Loys, excuses himself from thegrape-pickers so that he may be alone with Giselle. He swears eternal love to her, andshe performs the traditional daisy test, He loves me, He loves me not. Hilarion interruptsprotesting that he, not Loys, truly loves Giselle. A quarrel ensues, and Albrechtinstinctively reaches for his sword, which as a nobleman he is accustomed to wearing.This behavior strikes Hilarion as odd.The villagers return, and Giselle invites them to join in dance to celebrate theharvest. Berthe, Giselle's mother, warns Giselle that her life may be endangered if sheoverexerts herself dancing because she has a frail heart. Berthe is struck by ahallucination of her daughter in death. She sees her as a Wili, a restless spirit who hasdied with her love unrequited.A horn sounds in the distance, and Wilfred rushes in to warn Albrecht that thePrince of Courland and his hunting party are about to arrive. Hilarion witnesses thisexchange and is puzzled by the deference the squire pays to Loys. As Wilfred andAlbrecht hastily depart, Hilarion breaks into Albrecht’s cottage.The royal hunting party arrives led by the Prince of Courtland and his daughter,Bathilde. Giselle and Berthe offer them rest and refreshments. Bathilde is taken byGiselle’s charm and beauty, and Giselle is equally intrigued by her nobleness. The twoconfide in one another and learn that they are both engaged to be married. Bathildepresents Giselle with a gold medallion for her dowry. After the royal party leaves toreturn to the hunt, Hilarion emerges from Albrecht's cottage with a hunting horn andsword, evidence that Loys is actually a nobleman.The villagers return and proclaim Giselle the Queen of the Harvest Festival. Theharvest crown is passed from the present queen to Giselle. To express her gratitude toher fellow villagers, Giselle dances for them, demonstrating the passion she has fordancing. Hilarion interrupts the festivitiesto denounce Loys as an impostor.Albrecht tries to deny these charges andthreatens Hilarion with the sword.Hilarion blows the hunting horn, a signalfor the Prince to return, and the huntingparty reenters. Loys’ true identity asCount Albrecht is exposed when Bathildereveals that he is her fiancé. Thedevastation of learning of Albrecht'sduplicity is too much for Giselle's frailconstitution. Loosing her will to live;Giselle dies of a broken heart.6Mireille Leterrier as Giselle, Paulett Smrdel asBertha, in PBT's 1982 production. Unknownphotographer.

Act IIThe scene is set in a clearing in the forest where Giselle’s grave lies. The scene openswith Hilarion beside Giselle’s grave mourning her death. After being frightened byunnatural occurrences, Hilarion flees into theforest. Out of the mist the Wilis are summonedby their Queen, Myrtha, to attend theceremonies that will initiate Giselle into theirsisterhood. The Wilis are all maidens whosefiancés have failed to marry them before theirdeath. With their love unrequited, their spiritsare forever destined to roam the forest frommidnight to dawn, vengefully trapping any malewho enters their domain and forcing him todance to his death. Hilarion reenters theclearing and is trapped by the vengeful Wilis.He is commanded to dance to his death.Albrecht, who arrives to leave flowers onGiselle's grave, is also trapped and commandedto dance unto his death. However Giselle comesto his rescue. Propelled by her own passion todance and her love for Albrecht, she dancesMaribel Modrono as Giselle, in PBT's 2004production. Photo by Randy Choura.with him until the clock strikes four, the hour atwhich the Wilis lose their power. Albrecht issaved from death. Giselle returns to her graveand places the medallion, which Bathilde gave her, in Albrecht's hand as a symbol offorgiveness and her desire for him to be happy once again. Her power of trueforgiveness and selfless efforts to protect Albrecht from death prevent Giselle frombeing initiated into the vengeful sisterhood of the Wilis, allowing her to rest in peace foreternity.Did You Know? He Loves Me, He Loves Me NotRemember the petal-plucking game He Loves Me, He LovesMe Not? Where the object is to tell whether the person youhave a crush on feels the same way? You pluck a petal andsay “he loves me;” you pluck the next and say “he loves menot.” The last petal pulled gives you either good news or bad!The game originated in France where it is calledeffeuiller la marguerite. It’s not known exactly how old it is,though the earliest printed recording is from a nun’s songbookpublished in 1471. Goethe also mentioned the game in Faust(1806).In Giselle, the game is pivotal—it symbolizes Albrecht’sdeceit. Giselle cuts the game short when she fears the lastpetal will indicate that “he loves me not” (she is right, of courseas he is secretly engaged to Bathilde). Albrecht takes theflower, plucks a petal, and fools Giselle into believing that thegame’s prediction is “he loves me.”Steven Annegarn and Janet Popeleski inPBT’s 1990 production. Photo by Randy Choura7

The Making of Giselle: The Cast of CharactersAll images are PD-US; source is Wikipedia.org (unless another website is noted) and artist and original source perWikipedia is noted where known.3.2.4.7.1.5.6.The timeline on the next page details the roles of these Giselle key players.1. Dancer Carlotta Grisi as Giselle, Balletto.net: http://www.balletto.net/giornale.php?articolo=729;2. Choreographer Jules Perrot3. Author Heinrich Heine, Artist: Morris Daniel Oppenheim4. Author and critic Theophile Gautier, Photo by Felix Nadar, 18565. Composer Adolphe Adam, The Royal College of Music, London6. Librettist Vernoy de St. Georges7. Choreographer Jean Coralli8

choreographer of the Romantic period. Perrot is credited with the choreography for Grisiin the original production. He lived in London from 1842 to 1848, creating works formany of the great ballerinas, including Grisi, Marie Taglioni, Fanny Cerrito and LucileGrahn. In 1845 he created the masterwork Pas de Quatre especially to showcase thetalents of these four sometimes temperamental dancers. Perrot became ballet master atthe Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1849. He returned to Paris in 1858, where helived until his death.LEARN MOREAbout Coralli:http://www.balletandopera.com/index.html?sid=GLE_1&lang=eng&person=563&page=catalog&play_date_from=&play_date_to=About Perrot: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/452587/Jules-PerrotThe Modern ProductionMany of today’s productions of Giselle rely on the revisions made by Marius Petipa (themost celebrated choreographer of the Classical Era, and creator of The SleepingBeauty, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake), whose version is better documented than thePerrot/Coralli original. In fact, by 1868 Giselle had been dropped from the Paris Operarepertoire and it was not performed there again until 1924. By contrast, in RussiaGiselle continued to be produced on a regular basis.When Perrot became ballet master at the Imperial Theatre in 1849, Petipa was theTheatre’s premier danseur. Petipa danced many of the principal roles in Perrot’sproductions and assisted Perrot in staging olderworks, including Giselle in 1850 (Petipa danced therole of Albrecht, as his brother Lucien had in the1841 Paris premiere). Perrot is thought to havechanged some of Coralli’s choreography for the1850 performance to better realize his own vision forthe ballet.In the 1850s Petipa staged Giselle with Perrot’shelp. When Petipa became the Imperial Theatre’sballet master he revised Giselle several times, in1884, 1887, and 1899. His last revision was in 1903for the legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova, whosesoft, lyrical style influenced this final version. Therevision was notated in the Stepanov method ofchoreographic notation and is in the collection ofHarvard University Libraries.Anna Pavlova as Giselle, 1910, unknownphotographer. PBT Archives, KarlHeinrich Collection.13

Did You Know? Ballet-blancBallet-blanc (white ballet) refers to scenes in which the female corps de ballet wear all white: it issometimes defined as “pure” ballet. It emphasizes the movements and dramatic power of the corps.Though it was first seen in La Sylphide in 1832, Act II of Giselle was the model for the future. MariusPetipa perfected the technique in Grand Pas Classique, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.Giselle and ballet-blanc:The corps de ballet as theWilis and Laura Desiree asMyrtha in Act II of PBT’s1987 production. Photo byKen Stiles.MimeThe first act of Giselle makes heavy use of pantomime. Look for these gestures in theballet:DeathHands over head with fists crossed at wrists; hands come down infront of body to waist level. A strong motionDanceHands circle each other overheadBeautyOne hand circles the faceNoOne or two hands moving away from body—palms outNowFinger points decisively downwardYouGentle movement, one hand motioning away, palm open facing upLoveOne or two hands on heartPromise/vowTwo fingers raised overheadMarriage/engagement Right hand indicated left ring fingerAsking/begging Hands clasped in front of body, often done in a kneeling stanceWATCHThese videos translate two of the mime sequences in Giselle:-Berthe, Giselle’s mother, warns her about the Wilis (American Ballet Theatre)http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/mime1.html-Giselle and Albrecht’s love scene (Pacific Northwest Ballet)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfs882PTSHg&feature=relmfu14

Signature StepsAs with some of Adam’s musical passages, certain steps in the choreography act as aleitmotif for a character or feeling. Watch for two of these signature steps in the ballet:Ballonné (bouncing step or hop). This light, airy step symbolizes Giselle’s innocenceand joy and her love for dancing; she utilizes it in several sequences in Act I. In hervariation, Giselle performs 32 ballonnés on pointe in a row, a challenge for even thestrongest ballerina. Watch a 1951 clip of British prima ballerina Dame Alicia Markovaperform the variation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl8qskS2ZIM&feature=related(at :49 seconds).Arabesque (a position in which one leg is raised behind; usually one or both arms areoutstretched in front of the body). The arabesque is the signature position and step ofMyrtha and the Wilis in Act II. Giselle also utilizes it when she becomes a Wili. Whenyou see the ballet, notice the how the Wilis’ create different shapes and forms with thearabesque.The Wilis in arabesque, not dated. Photo by Randy Choura.Laura Desiree in arabesque asthe Wili Giselle, 1995. Photo byRandy Choura.Check it Out! At the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP)For more on the choreography of Giselle, Ballet 101 by Robert Greskovitch, GV1787.G741998 and The Ballet Called Giselle, by Cyril Beaumont, GV1790.G5 B4 1969That Gives Me the Willies!This phrase, expressing a feeling of nervousness or of being spooked, may come fromthe creepy, ghostly Wilis in Giselle. The Wilis appear in Act II—they are young maidenswho were engaged to be married, but who died after being jilted by their fiancés. Theirspirits (dressed in their wedding gowns) haunt the night and lure young men, forcingthem to dance to their deaths. They intend to take revenge on Albrecht for betrayingGiselle.15

A vila hovers over two travelers in apainting by Paja Javanovic, 1906PD-USThe legend of the Wilis, recorded by Heinrich Heinein De l’ Allemagne in 1837, was a part of EasternEuropean folklore before Giselle. He describes them as…attired in their bridal dresses, with garlands of flowers on theirheads, and shining rings on their fingers, the Wilis dance in themoonlight like the Elves; their faces, although white as snow,are beautiful in their youthfulness. They laugh with such adeceptive joy, they lure you so seductively, their expressionsoffer such sweet prospects, that these lifeless Bacchantes areirresistible.The legend was widespread, and pronunciation andcharacterization varied slightly around the EasternEuropean region. Other variations include Vila (femalevampire), Veela, Wila, and Willies. In Serbian legend theywere maidens cursed by God; in Bulgaria they were girlswho died before they were baptized; in Poland they wereyoung girls floating through the air atoning for frivolous pastlives.In Giselle, the Wilis are zombie-like creatures creating frightening designs withtheir deadly dances. Author Robert Greskovitch describes the ultimate Wili configurationas their menacing diagonal line, stretching from one end of the stage to the other, asthey advance to kill Hilarion. In early productions of the ballet, the Wilis flew on stage,using wires and a large, concealed see-saw device that allowed the dancer to appear tofloat up and down.Le Villi, an 1884 opera by Giacomo PucciniDid You Know? Other Wilis StoriesHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book in the series by J.K. Rowling, introduces theVeela, magical beings whose entrancing beauty can compel men to dance to their deaths.INVESTIGATEA discussion of the derivation of “the willies:” http://www.word-detective.com/2009/10/willies-the/Supernatural beings in Slavic folklore:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernatural_beings_in_Slavic_folkloreThe Veela in the Harry Potter series:http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Muggles%27_Guide_to_Harry_Potter/Magic/VeelaCheck it Out! At the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP)The Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons,Ghosts, Gods, and Goddesses by Judika Illes, BF1439.I35.2009.16

PBT’s GisellePBT Ballet Mistress Marianna Tcherkassky:“One of the Greatest Giselles”“Giselle is one of the reasons that I dance”—Marianna TcherkasskyIn 1976 Marianna Tcherkassky was a soloist with American Ballet Theater, rehearsingwith the Company for a performance of Giselle in Washington, DC. Principals GelseyKirkland and Mikhail Baryshnikov were to perform the roles of Giselle and Albrecht. Withonly five days until the performance, Kirkland was injured and had to withdraw from theproduction. Baryshnikov himself asked Marianna to take Kirkland’s place.Though Marianna had never rehearsed the title role, itwas as if she had prepared for it her whole life. As earlyas the age of four, she remembers watching a film of theballet Giselle, and at seven, her mother, a ballet teacherand a former professional dancer herself, began to giveMarianna ballet lessons in their home. From that point onthis young girl decided not necessarily that she wanted tobe a ballet dancer, but that she wanted to be Giselle.Her performance with Baryshnikov was a sensation. Hertechnical prowess and sensitive artistry won her apromotion to principal dancer with ABT and inspired NewYork Times dance critic Anna Kisselgoff to call her “one ofthe greatest Giselles America has ever produced.” Shewent on to dance Giselle in dozens of performances withABT. Now, as PBT’s ballet mistress, Marianna brings herunderstanding and love of the role as she coaches PBT’s dancers in Giselle.Tcherkassky and Fernando Bujonesin Giselle. Photo credit: New YorkTimes, Don Hogan Charles.WATCHMarianna Tcherkassky in the role of Giselle, with Frank Augustyn as Albrecht, in an ABTproduction of the ballet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IhODei5sCwLEARNhow Marianna coaches Giselle in the Pointe Magazine article “How it’s Done: Find Your DreamySide:” http://www.pointemagazine.com/issues/augustseptember-2010/how-its-done-find-yourdreamy-sideand in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article “Dance Preview: Tcherkassy Passes theTorch at PBT”: http://old.post-gazette.com/magazine/20010211pbt4.asp17

Costume and Scenic Designer Peter Farmer…it was a stunning surprise to see (Giselle’s) intricate and exquisite scenic design … thismoonlit, forest-scene staging, embraced by lacey trees, had the look of an eye-popping antiquepainting being presented in 3-D. The People’s Critic, 2012Opulent fabrics, misty scenes and inventive ornamentation arehallmarks of Peter Farmer’s work. His costume and scenicdesigns, works of art in their own right, have been exhibited byart galleries in the U.S. and Europe.Born in England in 1941, Mr. Farmer received atraditional art school education and quickly became asuccessfulyoungartist.However,he wassoonseduced byPhoto by Randy Choura, 1994. the theatreand bystage design. He designed his firstGiselle for Britain’s Ballet Rambertand earned critical acclaim in 1966for the Giselle he created forStuttgart Ballet. Farmer’s otherGiselle productions include theCologne Opera Ballet, DutchNational Ballet, Australian Ballet,The Royal Ballet, and HoustonBallet (PBT is renting Houston’scostumes and scenery for thisproduction).Mr. Farmer has had a longassociation with PBT, creating its1990 production of GeorgeBalanchine’s The Nutcracker aswell as Andre Prokovsky’s TheGreat Gatsby, which had its worldpremiere in Pittsburgh in 1987. Mr.Farmer’s work also includes SwanLake (Royal Winnipeg Ballet),Madam Butterfly, Anna KareninaOriginal drawing for the Wilis’ costumes by Peter Farmer,Courtesy of Houston Balletand The Three Musketeers (The Australian Ballet), Cinderella (Ben Stevenson) and TheDream (Frederick Ashton). One of the most prolific artists working today, he hasproduced more than 300 set and costume designs for dance and theater.18

PBT and GiselleThe 2012-2013 season marks PBT’s tenth production of Giselle. Reminisce with us!DateOctober 1974October 1978March 1981April 1982February 1987February 1990February 1996February 2001March 2004Giselle / AlbrechtDagmar Kessler / Thierry DoradoDagmar Kessler, JoAnn McCarthy / Miguel CampaneriaIngrid Fraley, Francesca Corkle / Chinko Rafique, Keith MartinMireille Leterrier, Patricia Davis, Christine Sarry / Mark SilverMaria Teresa del Real, Janet Popeleski / Scott Jovovich, Li CunxinJanet Popeleski, Tamar Rachelle / Steven Annegarn, Miguel CampaneriaYing Li, Laura Desiree / Jiabin Pan, Steven AnnegarnYing Li, Jennifer Langenstein, Maribel Modrono / Jiabin Pan, Dmitri Kulev,Richard BowmanYing Li, Jennifer Langenstein, Maribel Modrono / Jiabin Pan, Dmitri Kulev,Richard BowmanL-R: Jennifer Langestein & Dmitri Kulev, 2001; Miguel Campaneria & Janet Popeleski, 1990; JiabinPan & Ying Li, 2004. All photos by Randy Choura.19

Alternative Productions of GiselleMost productions of Giselle follow the original libretto by Gautier and Saint-Georges andthe Perrot/Coralli/Petipa choreography. Explore two versions that take differentapproaches:Giselle, Cullberg Ballet, 1982. Choreographed by Mats Ek,Cullberg Ballet’s Giselle is set in an insane asylum: Giselle ismad from the outset and the Wilis are female patients in thesame asylum. Watch a clip here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXPeLT6XSiI&feature=related andread a New York Times review:http://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/10/arts/ballet-cullberg-giselle.htmlCreole Giselle, Dance Theatre of Harlem, 1984. Created byArthur Mitchell and Frederic Franklin, the ballet is set among thefree black community of Louisiana in the 18 th century. Watch anexcerpt here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kBXDhmUkr8Check it Out! At the Carnegie Library of PittsburghThe DVD of Creole Giselle is available at the Main Branch: (DVD) GV1790.C74 C74 2005xReview • Reflect • RespondHow the Critics RespondedTake a look at reviews from past PBT productions of Giselle:2001: “(Terrence) Orr has a talent for overseeing the vision and direction of theproduction…Surely this was the most textured Giselle seen yet at PBT.”http://old.post-gazette.com/magazine/20010216dance3.asp2004: “. . . a performance that is as good as it gets.”http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=20040313&id=ZIlIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v3ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6630,871730For Further ThoughtBefore seeing Giselle, jot down several single words that describe what you expect tosee/experience, even if you know nothing about the ballet. After seeing the ballet,review the words you chose. How were your preconceptions realized or not realized?After seeing the ballet, reflect on these questions:1. What might the ballet be saying about gender relationships? Read From Sylphs toSubversion: Gender and Partnering in Concert Dance Choreographyhttp://artsci.wustl.edu/~perfhist/spr_07_essays/sylphs_to_subversion.html2. How does the music further the action of the ballet? What specific transitions or leitmotifsreally made an impression on you? How does the music of the first act differ from that ofthe second? Would you listen to this music on your Ipod?3. Giselle has been called a masterpiece of style, technique and dramatic feeling. Do youagree? Why or why not?20

For the KidsGiselle Word Search(Solution on next page)P Y X S Q T X G E A R I G Y BC E S Y J H H V N Y U R A R GB Z R G H X G C Q Q A K O B ZT W N R E J R K E V Y K C I QI E Q S O M A M E R E P X H LW Z Q W F T P M T N B U V V KE R I O V J E Y H C C L C J LO M G R Y U H E S U P D A E IY P H D E M A G Y S I A D L HD H L D R R R U T D Z R L L HB X B B T F V I T L A A J E CO S H K V V E S H U R C K S WH X W G H Q S T N O T R D I JQ U P W M K T Q C J J U O G UE W I L L I E S T S I L I W XALBRECHTBROKEN HEARTCORALLIDAISY GAMEGISELLEGRAPE HARVESTGRAVEPERROTSWORDTUTUWILISWILLIES21

SolutionP + + + + T + + + + + + G + B+ E + + + + H + + + + R + R ++ + R + + + G C + + A + O + ++ + + R + + R + E V + K + + ++ + + S O + A + E R E + + + ++ + + W + T P + + N B + + + ++ + + O + + E + H + + L + + ++ + + R + + H E + + + + A E I+ + + D E M A G Y S I A D L ++ + + + + R R U + + + + L L ++ + + + T + V + T + + A + E ++ + + + + + E + + U R + + S ++ + + + + + S + + O T + + I ++ + + + + + T + C + + + + G ++ W I L L I E S + S I L I W +The Benedum Center for the Performing ArtsThe Benedum Center for the Performing Artsis the crown jewel of the Pittsburgh CulturalTrust and the Cultural District in downtownPittsburgh. It was renovated in 1987 and ison the National Register of HistoricLandmarks. The 2800 seat theatre used tobe the Stanley Theater, still visible on thelighted marquees outside. It has the thirdlargest stage in the United States measuring144 feet wide by 78 feet deep. ThePittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera,and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera all use theBenedum for their performances.Learn more about the Benedum Center:http://trustarts.org/visit/facilities/benedum/benedum-center-historyInvestigate the Stanley Theatre’s role in music history here in Pittsburgh:http://www.wyep.org/music/ppp/page12.php22

SourcesBallet 101 by Robert Greskovic, 1998The Ballet Bag, Giselle, 2011: http://www.theballetbag.com/2011/01/11/giselle/The Ballet Called Giselle, by Cyril Beaumont, 1988Ballet Reference Production Notes for Giselle, English National Ballet, not dated (photocopy inPBT Arts Education Department files)BalletNotes for Giselle by Gerard Charles, BalletMet, Columbus, OH, 2001,https://www.balletmet.org/backstage/ballet-notes/140Ballet Notes, Stravinsky Violin Concerto and Giselle, National Ballet of Canada,http://national.ballet.ca/pdf/education/balletnotes/stavinsky-giselle.pdf“Dancing on Her Grave,” article by Deborah Jowitt, 1992 (unknown source, photocopy in PBTArts Education Department files)Footnotes: the classics of ballet. www.soundventure.com/web/footnotes/episode2.html“Hartford Ballet Restores a Classic: Journey with Giselle,” by Doris Hering, Dance Magazine,April 1997“Giselle” by Angelo Foletto, in Phaidon Book of the Ballet, 1979Wikipedia entries for Giselle, Marius Petipa, Ballet-blanc, Jules Perrot, Jean Coralli, AdolpheAdam23