Editor’s Pick: The Washington Ballet’s Glorious ‘Giselle’ Returns

metroweekly.com:

Giselle.The classical ballet features a coven of vampire-like maiden spirits called the wilis, who work collectively to haunt and exact revenge against the male lovers who spurned them in acts of betrayal that turned them into supernatural spinsters in the first place.After the weak-hearted Giselle dies upon learning the truth about her beloved Albrecht, the wilis summon her from her grave and target Albrecht as the next betrayer they’ll entrance and dance to death.Next weekend, The Washington Ballet will restage the production of Giselle that five years ago served to introduce Julie Kent as artistic director of the organization working alongside her husband Victor Barbee as associate artistic director.Kent and Barbee worked to enhance the original choreography by Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli in their take on the classic, which they brought to life with Charles Barker conducting the Washington Ballet Orchestra performing Adolphe Adam’s haunting score.“When Victor and I first came to Washington, we knew Giselle would present an important challenge for us, as leaders, and for the Company dancers,” Kent said in a press release. “To revisit this seminal production, exactly five years later, is poignant and energizing.

We can see, step for step, how much the company has progressed.”Giselle follows Swan Lake, produced earlier this year, as the next in a season marking the company’s return to live performances since the pandemic, and sees the company returning to the theater that every year presents its annual holiday staple The Nutcracker.Performances are Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 30, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 1 at 1 and 5:30 p.m.