Ballet Notes The 2012/13 season is dedicated to the memory of The National Ballet of Canada’s greatest patron Walter Carsen, O.C. Giselle December 5 – 9, 2012 Greta Hodgkinson. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann. 2012/13 Souvenir Book Featuring stunning images of National Ballet dancers by renowned photographers Aleksandar Antonijevic and Sian Richards. On Sale Now in the Lobby! Heather Ogden. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic. Page 2 national.ballet.ca Orchestra Violin 1 Clarinets Naha Greenholtz, Max Christie, Principal Acting Concertmaster Colleen Cook+ Lynn Kuo, Gary Kidd, Bass Clarinet Assistant Concertmaster Emily Marlow* James Aylesworth Bassoons Jennie Baccante Stephen Mosher, Principal Sheldon Grabke* Jerry Robinson Nancy Kershaw Elizabeth Gowen, Sonia Klimasko-Leheniuk Contra Bassoon Celia Franca, C.C., Founder Yakov Lerner Jayne Maddison Horns George Crum, Music Director Emeritus Wendy Rogers Gary Pattison, Principal Karen Kain, C.C. Kevin Garland Paul Zevenhuizen Vincent Barbee* Artistic Director Executive Director Derek Conrod Violin 2 + Diane Doig Dominique Laplante, David Briskin Rex Harrington, O.C. Christine Passmore+ Music Director and Artist-in-Residence Principal Second Violin Scott Wevers Principal Conductor Csaba Koczo, Acting Magdalena Popa Lindsay Fischer Assistant Principal Trumpets Xiao Grabke Richard Sandals, Principal Principal Artistic Coach Artistic Director, + YOU dance / Ballet Master Renee London Mark Dharmaratnam Ron Mah Robert Weymouth Peter Ottmann Mandy-Jayne Aya Miyagawa Senior Ballet Master Richardson Trombones Senior Ballet Mistress Filip Tomov David Archer, Principal Joanna Zabrowarna Robert Ferguson Aleksandar Antonijevic, Guillaume Côté, David Pell, Greta Hodgkinson, Jiˇrí Jelinek, Zdenek Konvalina*, Violas Evan McKie*, Heather Ogden, Sonia Rodriguez, Angela Rudden, Principal Bass Trombone Piotr Stanczyk, Jillian Vanstone, Xiao Nan Yu Theresa Rudolph Koczó, Tuba Assistant Principal* Sasha Johnson, Principal Kevin D. Bowles, Lorna Geddes, Rebekah Rimsay, Carolyn Blackwell+, Acting Tomas Schramek, Hazaros Surmeyan Assistant Principal Harp Naoya Ebe, Keiichi Hirano, Tanya Howard, Valerie Kuinka Lucie Parent, Principal Stephanie Hutchison, Etienne Lavigne, Johann Lotter Timpany Patrick Lavoie, Elena Lobsanova, McGee Maddox, Beverley Spotton Michael Perry, Principal Stacey Shiori Minagawa, Tina Pereira, Larry Toman Jonathan Renna, Robert Stephen, Brett van Sickle Percussion Cellos Mark Mazur, Acting Jordana Daumec, Alexandra MacDonald, Maurizio Baccante, Chelsy Meiss, Alejandra Perez-Gomez, Principal Principal Jenna Savella, Christopher Stalzer Kristofer Maddigan Marianne Pack James Applewhite, Jack Bertinshaw, Skylar Campbell, Olga Laktionova Orchestra Personnel Adji Cissoko, Jonathan Davidsson, Shaila D’Onofrio, Andrew McIntosh Manager and Music Krista Dowson, Nadine Drouin, Jackson Dwyer, Elaine Thompson Administrator Francesco Gabriele Frola, Giorgio Galli, Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Raymond Tizzard Emma Hawes, Juri Hiraoka, Ji Min Hong, Kathryn Hosier, Paul Widner Rui Huang, Lise-Marie Jourdain, Larissa Khotchenkova, Librarian James Leja, Elizabeth Marrable, Shino Mori, Tiffany Mosher, Basses Lucie Parent Andreea Olteanu, Asiel Rivero, Brendan Saye, Joseph Steinauer, Hans J.F. Preuss, Principal + Dylan Tedaldi, Nan Wang, Aarik Wells, Sarah Elena Wolff Tom Hazlitt Assistant to the Music RBC Apprentice Programme / YOU dance: Paul Langley* Director Jonathan Batista, Trygve Cumpston, Hannah Fischer, Robert Speer Jean Verch Miyoko Koyasu, Nayara Lopes, Liana Macera, Cary Takagaki Tudor Moldoveanu, Felix Paquet, Meghan Pugh, Kota Sato Flutes Lorna Geddes Joysanne Sidimus Leslie J. Allt, Principal * On Leave of Absence Pointe Shoe Manager / Guest Balanchine Maria Pelletier + Additional Musician Assistant Ballet Mistress Répétiteur Shelley Brown*, Piccolo + Ernest Abugov Peter Sherk Kevin O’Donnell , Piccolo Jeff Morris Stage Manager, YOU dance Oboes Stage Managers Mark Rogers, Principal Karen Rotenberg *Guest Artist Lesley Young, English Horn Page 3 Wednesday December 5 at 7:30 pm Thursday, December 6 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm Friday, December 7 at 7:30 pm Saturday, December 8 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm Sunday, December 9 at 2:00 pm Conductor: David Briskin, Music Director and Principal Conductor Giselle Choreography and Production: Peter Wright after the choreography of Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa (Based on the book by Vernoy de Saint-Georges, Gautier and Coralli) Music: Adolphe Adam, revised by Joseph Horovitz Set and Costume Design: Desmond Heeley Lighting Design: Gil Wechsler Giselle was produced as a memorial to the late William P. Walker and was made possible through the courtesy of many generous friends of the National Ballet. World premiere: Paris Opéra Ballet, Paris, France, June 28, 1841 The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: April 16, 1970 Greta Hodgkinson with Artists of the Ballet. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann. Page 4 national.ballet.ca Page 3 The Cast Act I Albrecht, Count of Silesia, A Nobleman disguised as Loys, a Villager Aarik Wells Guillaume Côté (Dec 5, 8 eve) Naoya Ebe* (Dec 6 mat) Villagers, Pages and Courtiers Zdenek Konvalina+ (Dec 6 eve, 8 mat) Artists of the Ballet Evan McKie+ (Dec 7, 9) Intermission Wilfred, his squire James Leja (Dec 5, 6 eve, 8) Act II Brett van Sickle (Dec 6 mat, 7, 9) Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis Berthe, Giselle’s mother Heather Ogden (Dec 5, 7, 8 eve) Lorna Geddes (Dec 5, 7, 8 eve, 9) Juri Hiraoka (Dec 6 mat, 8 mat) Rebekah Rimsay (Dec 6, 8 mat) Stephanie Hutchison (Dec 6 eve, 9) Hilarion, a forester Her Attendants, Moyna and Zulme Piotr Stanczyk (Dec 5, 8 eve) Jenna Savella, Jordana Daumec (Dec 5, Etienne Lavigne (Dec 6 mat) 6 mat, 8) Jonathan Renna (Dec 6 eve, 8 mat) Alexandra MacDonald, Jiˇrí Jelinek (Dec 7, 9) Alejandra Perez-Gomez (Dec 6 eve, 7, 9) Giselle, a peasant girl Wilis Greta Hodgkinson (Dec 5, 8 eve) Artists of the Ballet Jillian Vanstone (Dec 6 mat) Sonia Rodriguez (Dec 6 eve, 8 mat) Xiao Nan Yu (Dec 7, 9) Giselle’s friends Elena Lobsanova, Chelsy Meiss, Running Time Keiichi Hirano, Patrick Lavoie (Dec 5, 8 eve) ACT I – 51 minutes Jenna Savella, Tina Pereira, Dylan Tedaldi, Intermission – 20 minutes Skylar Campbell (Dec 6 mat, 7, 9) ACT II – 47 minutes Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Stacey Shiori Minagawa, Francesco Gabriele Frola, The performance will run approximately 1 hour Christopher Stalzer (Dec 6 eve, 8 mat) 58 minutes. Bathilde, Albrecht’s fiancée + Guest Artist Alejandra Perez-Gomez (Dec 5, 8 eve, 9) * Debut Stephanie Hutchison (Dec 6 mat, 7) Sarah Elena Wolff (Dec 6 eve, 8 mat) Evan McKie’s appearance is made possible by a generous donation from The Frank Gerstein Albrecht’s father, Duke of Silesia Charitable Foundation. Kevin D. Bowles (Dec 5, 6 eve, 8) Jonathan Renna (Dec 6 mat, 7, 9) All casting is subject to change. Page 5 Giselles Albrechts Greta Hodgkinson Guillaume Côté Jillian Vanstone Naoya Ebe Sonia Rodriguez Zdenek Konvalina Xiao Nan Yu Evan McKie Page 6 national.ballet.ca Artists of the Ballet. Photo by Bruce Zinger. Synopsis Act I an action would be the instinctive reaction The first act is set in a Rhineland valley of a nobleman. Hilarion tries to warn Giselle surrounded by vine-clad hills in medieval that there is something suspicious about Germany. A majestic castle looms in the Loys but she refuses to believe him. distance over the valley. It is autumn and the Soon a royal hunting party appears in the peasants are enjoying a rich harvest. Among village, led by Albrecht’s father, the Duke the many happy festivities is the crowning of Silesia, and Countess Bathilde, who is of the Queen of the Vintage. engaged to Albrecht. The village welcomes Giselle is a young peasant girl who lives the noble visitors and Giselle presents flowers with her mother, Berthe. Their cottage is to the beautiful Bathilde. When it is revealed opposite one that has recently been occupied that Giselle is engaged to be married, Bathilde by the handsome but mysterious Loys, a gives Giselle a necklace as a gift. While peasant farmer. Loys is really Count Albrecht Bathilde and the Duke go to rest in Giselle’s of Silesia, who has disguised himself as a cottage, Hilarion breaks into Loys’ cottage peasant in order to win Giselle’s affections. and discovers his sword, which bears the Giselle has fallen in love with Loys, but the family crest of the Duke of Silesia. He now local forester Hilarion loves Giselle and has has proof of Loys’ true identity. always planned to marry her. Hilarion is During the festivities that follow, when suspicious of Loys and thinks he is hiding Giselle is crowned Queen of the Vintage, some secret. Hilarion challenges Loys and, summoning Challenging Loys to a fight, Hilarion notices the royal party, reveals Loys’ true identity. that Loys immediately clasps his right hand Everyone is shocked and confused as they to his left hip, as if he were about to draw realize that Loys is really Count Albrecht. a sword. The astute Hilarion notes that such Bathilde is shocked to see her fiancé dressed Page 7 as a peasant. She then tells everyone that haunted by Wilis (pronounced will-eez) she is herself engaged to be married to the he flees in terror. The Wilis are the spirits of duplicitous Albrecht. betrothed young women who have died from When Giselle realizes that Albrecht has grief after being betrayed by faithless lovers. deceived her, she is overcome by grief and Malicious in nature, these ghostly, nocturnal quickly loses her reason. Giselle recalls her creatures are ruled by their queen, Myrtha, moments of innocent happiness with Albrecht, and seek revenge by forcing any man who but then, in a frenzy of madness, she thrusts crosses their path between midnight and Albrecht’s sword toward her heart and dies dawn to dance to his death. The Wilis are in her mother’s arms. Albrecht runs off, filled gathering this night to prepare for the initiation with guilt and despair for what he has done. of Giselle into their ranks. Hilarion and the village grieve for Giselle. The Wilis momentarily leave the scene, and the melancholic Albrecht arrives at Act II Giselle’s grave to plead for forgiveness.