A Romantic ballet set rustically in a historical iconic park of Singapore. Fort Canning was established in 1859 as an arms store, barracks and hospital. Coincidentally, its park used to be an old Christian cemetery until 1865. Across the world, in that period, Giselle was first performed in 1841. Hence running on a time line, Fort Canning Park seemed to frame the ballet appropriately.

Singapore Dance Theatre, the national dance company of Singapore, presented Giselle in the Park. This production was their first attempt in bringing a full length ballet to the outdoors and also marking the start of the company’s 20th Anniversary celebration. Staged by the company’s Assistant Artistic Director, Janek Schergen and Ballet Master, Paul DeMasson, the small and humble company of 22 dancers (along with a couple of young students put together) did a commendable job and a promising start to a notable and significant season.

An informal and easing atmosphere warms the mood up with audience setting up their picnic mats and baskets a few hours before the show. Moments before the performance, both Schergen and DeMasson greeted the audience and gave a brief introduction of the ballet.

Performing on the 28th March 2008, Natalie Clarke and Chen Peng danced Giselle and Albrecht respectively along with Liu Xiao Mi as Myrthe. On the following evening of the 29th, Xia Hai Ying and Zhang Jun danced the leads with Sakura Shimizu as Myrthe.

Megumi Sugita, a veteran with the company, danced Berthe for both casts. She started off well, however when she was storytelling about the Wilis, staging at this point was weak, the dancers were told to sit on the floor, in a cresent-like shape to frame Berthe. At this point, it only showed vast emptiness, making the space weak and vacant, lacking texture and depth. Also there was no connection of the storytelling mother to the villager, lacking conviction. Truly, the legend of the Wilis is to be told to the villagers, but most importantly one believes that the story is directing to Albrecht, however he was seated at the edge of downstage right.

Hilarion, performed by Chen Wei (for both casts), was unfortunately a letdown. The character is one, who is aggressive and swainish, who is hopelessly in love with Giselle. Wei lacked the boorishness of a gamekeeper/villager. At one point of the ballet, I frowned with confusion. It was in the initial part of Act 1, where Hilarion chanced upon the lovebirds’ private moment, he urged Giselle to come to her senses and to accept his love but was pulled and summoned away by Albrecht. In response, Hilarion obediently bowed to Albrecht as if he already acknowledged his aristocratic status; whereas some versions emphasized Hilarion’s suspicion of the new kid in the village. Xia Hai Ying alternated her leading role as Giselle with a very dignified Bathilde. Upon watching Hai Ying’s refined Bathilde, intrigued one to imagine how would she present a humble Giselle.

In the Peasant Pas de Quarte (instead of the pas de six, or peasant pas de deux), the 2 couples alternate roles and solos. The two girls, Chihiro Uchida and Park Na-Ri, were delightfully pleasing to watch. Bubbly personality, quick, neat and razor sharp footwork, sky high extensions and an effortless, and sunshiny smile to say, “ I can do all these for the rest of my life, I could just live on dancing.” The male dancers, Toru Okada and Wang Hao, however lack personality, despite showing splendid technique and use of space. Both dancers’ tours en l’air, jetés, and beats seemed to be demonstrated without an ounce of pant. Their elevations seemed to bounce off the floor like a ball; fantastic ballon and control of legs. Sharing the casts of the Pas de Quarte were Robert Mills, William Wu, Liu Xiao Mi and Uchida. The ladies were charming, Xiao Mi may not be as technically competent as Na-Ri from the previous evening, she tried well to manage the choreography. Wu, a young dancer, needs time to mature into the role both technically and in character. Mills, provided a sturdy support to his partner, Uchida, who once again, captivated the audience with her cheery personality and clean technique.

Natalie Clarke, an experienced and strong technical dancer managed the repertoire of Giselle with utmost quality. Chen Peng, an up-and-coming strong dancer performed his debut Albrecht with promise. In Act 1, pleasant and light as a feather, Clarke, showed extreme promise and quality of work technically, one of the cleanest dancers in the company. Aesthetically it would be better if she had longer hair for her mad scene (her hair was shoulder-length). Peng’s second time in a leading role, showed tremendous improvement since his debut as Siegfried three months back. His partnering and handling skills got better and his dancing was more assured. He shone as a soloist and handled his solos with ease. Both dancers had not managed to build up a loving rapport in Act 1, however by Act 2, the magnetism was established and they were rightfully indulging in their roles. In Act 2, Clarke and Peng were dancing along with each other tenderly, supporting each other both emotionally and physically. Their partnership began to show affirmation by Act 2. By the time she bids her last farewell to him at her grave, it was heartbreaking to watch on. I must comment how impressive Clarke was in Act 2. In the adagio parts, she ‘melts’ down from her pointe to flat effortlessly, as light as a wili should be. Peng, on the other hand, proliferated more expression as a heartbroken, and guilty lover in despair and devastation, especially when he was kneeling over her grave.

Liu Xiao Mi, Queen of the Wilis on the same night, lacked the icy-ness of a Myrthe. One feels perhaps a few more years would be ideal for her to grow into the role. Lee Pei Nee and Ginny Gan, took the stage as Moyna and Zulme. Gan, a clean dancer however a little too classical for this romantic number, Pei Nee, on the other hand, indulged into the Romantic era, with an expressive use of the upper body, and a secure solo.

The following evening, Xia Hai Ying’s Giselle was simply poetry in motion. She lights up the stage in Act 1 as Giselle with her radiant smile, bright ballon and high extensions. Zhang Jun unfortunately did not match up to Hai Ying’s performance showmanship, his role seemed to be a supporting role to the prima ballerina. In Act 2, Zhang Jun still failed to come out of Hai Ying’s shadow. During his solos, he executed the choreography as it was, however Hai Ying’s gave the extra performing factor to the choreography. Sakura Shimizu, as Queen of the Wilis, was well cast. She showed power and authoritativeness, a cold and dignified figure in the Act. Her two sidekicks, Park Na-Ri and Zhou Lin, were both beautiful to watch. Na-Ri sustained her renvenses and balances till the very last moment before she went into her next movement. Zhou Lin showed a strong up-and-coming Queen of the Wili in the making. Good effort from the corp de ballet, made up of a mixture of pre-professional students along with the professionals.

On the whole, the most disappointing part of the performance was the music. The arranged and recorded music did not do the dancers any justice. In parts of the ballet, the music was too fast for the dancers. For instance, in the coda of the Peasant Pas de Quarte, in the female part, where the dancers had to perform the valse en pointe, the music was so fast that it went into the next phrase for the next combination of steps before the dancers could complete the valse.

Giselle in the Park, with the trees and its set growing out of the stage and into nature, was something interesting, not to forget to mention the occasional bats flying through and about, above our heads and across the stage, along with the constant chirping sound of the crickets. Bringing the ballet, Giselle into the park was indeed a great idea and a daring idea indeed. With the props and sets to bear in mind, and the humidity of the climate in Singapore must have been a challenge for the dancers. It was an unforgettable experience and one to look forward to again.