English National Ballet in Akram Khan’s “Giselle” /Photo: Laurent Liotardo
RECOMMENDED
For the first time in more than three decades, the English National Ballet is touring stateside. They bring an exclusive North American run at the Harris of acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan’s reimagining of the iconic romantic ballet “Giselle.” Under the leadership of its visionary artistic director, Tamara Rojo, the London-based company originally commissioned Khan’s adaptation in 2016—a creative leap for the company and for Khan, who had not choreographed a full-length ballet before. Since its initial premiere, the project has proven a risk worth taking and transformed the classic ballet into a modern masterpiece. After collecting accolades and awards, including an Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production, Khan’s “Giselle” is touted by many as a stroke of genius and a major milestone for twenty-first-century dance.
The two-act ballet’s ageless story of love, betrayal and redemption has been restaged countless times since it was first performed the summer of 1841 at the Salle Le Peletier in Paris. However, Khan’s evocative reinterpretation stands alone. The story, originally set in the German countryside, now emerges from the assembly lines of a garment factory, inspired by the 2013 tragic collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in which more than a thousand people died due to structural failure. Another remarkable change in the story’s narrative is seen in the portrayal of the title role. Giselle was originally cast as a fragile heroine who finds herself on the brink of insanity and mortality after being betrayed by her lover Albrecht. This rendition offers a modern twist on her character, who sheds her delicate exterior to reveal a steely strength and profound resilience. The changes in the narrative are supported by visual elements including lighting design by Tony Award-winner Mark Henderson and stunning costumes and sets by Academy Award-winning designer Tim Yip (for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”). In the first act, a massive and politically timely wall frames the space as Khan’s distinctive choreographic style merges contemporary dance with kathak, a classical northern Indian dance form known for its mesmerizing footwork, graceful gestural movement and basis in storytelling. The results of this stellar combination create an unparalleled visual splendor that riles the senses and engages the spirit by breaking the mold of classical ballet, vaulting the form from antiquity into our present day.
In addition to the shifts in narrative and aesthetics, the music of Khan’s “Giselle” turns Adolphe Adam’s original score on its head. In a recent interview, ENB music director Gavin Sutherland described the highly collaborative and fairly unorthodox process used to create the redesigned score. After initiating the project with another composer who was replaced a slim four weeks before the premiere by Khan, longtime collaborator and composer Vincenzo Lamagna jumped in and reimagined the score for the adapted ballet. Working closely with Sutherland, who tirelessly notated and orchestrated the score while it was being developed, Lamagna created a mesmeric auditory landscape that perfectly complements Khan’s choreography by layering Adam’s melodic themes with haunting, electronic soundscapes and altered instrumentation, such as the bass flute, contrabass clarinet and an eclectic blend of percussive tools. Sutherland worked with the Chicago Philharmonic, who will perform the score live under his direction. When asked about the upcoming run at the Harris, Sutherland says, “The big thrill that Tamara has been working toward for so many years is getting our company to go for the first time in thirty years to the United States. The fact we get to go to Chicago first is just brilliant—such a vibrant hub for dance and theater.”
There are limited tickets remaining for Khan’s “Giselle,” so get them while you can because this modern masterpiece is not-to-be-missed. (Alyssa Motter)
At the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 East Randolph, (312)334-7777. February 28-March 2, Thursday and Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2pm and 7:30pm. $60-$125. Limited seating still available at: harristheaterchicago.org/tickets/upcoming-events.
Related Stories
Out of Darkness: A Preview of Giordano Dance at the Harris Theater Miranda Davis' new piece about hope in the face of adversity is the latest in a series of commissions intended to push the company’s boundaries and explore the intersections of jazz, modern and contemporary aesthetics.- Mycelium as Metaphor: A Preview of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s “Season 41 Fall Series” at the Harris Hubbard Street's Fall Series is a composite of interwoven movement styles from across the expansive mycelial web that is contemporary dance.
- Anguish on Display: A Review of An Inspector Calls at Chicago Shakespeare Theater & The National Theatre of Great Britain This pristine British import is both an aesthetic curiosity and a clue to an expanded theatrical language beyond kitchen sink realism.
- Perception Is Reality: A Preview of the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg’s “The Pygmalion Effect” at the Auditorium Theatre Boris Eifman reimagines this antiquated tale through his unique, sensationalistic style of psychological ballet theater that philosophizes about the complex, emotional realities of human existence.
- Gentle, Awkward, Human: A Review of Hubbard Street Dance's Space, In Perspective at the Harris Theater ...the company visibly honed in on choreography that ranges from small—an almost imperceptibly slow descent by dancer Rena Butler from standing to sitting in a chair—to massive, with the combined Hubbard Street professional, Hubbard Street II companies and fifteen additional dancers from their professional training program creating a emotionally powerful moving tableau of humanity that evoked the march of our…
- Mystery and Intrigue: Hubbard Street Premieres a New Work by Kyle Abraham in "Forge Forward" at the Harris Theater The new commission from the MacArthur "genus" awardee is infused with delicious moments of melodrama and humor.
