RB 'Giselle' reviews 'Giselle' reviews Cojocaru in reviews Kobborg in reviews Bussell in reviews Cope in reviews Yanowsky in reviews recent RB reviews

I certainly got my money's worth when I saw Cojocaru/Kobborg in Giselle on the weekend. It was the best ballet performance I have ever seen by anyone in any ballet. Everything about them was a dream. I have to say that I pretty much agree with all of the reviews about their Giselle that I've read about here.

What I loved most was that they danced together, they weren't just two big stars doing their own thing. Like in Swan Lake it was all the little nuances in their dancing and acting that made it more than just a technical feat. And their technique is amazing. They have the power to move the audience and at the same time seem to be absorbed and dancing only for each other. By the end of Act one I could already feel the tears coming to my eyes. Cojocaru was transfixing from her first entrance onto the stage. Her footwork is so precise and clear and her hops on pointe in Act I were incredibly light and delicate. The youth, joy, and innocence that she projected made the horror of her mad scene all the more poignant. I won't go into details because that would take pages! But I'm sure that everyone who's seen her dance will know that she is a dancer who often defies description.

For me though, Kobborg was the great standout of the ballet. His Albrecht swept me away, especially in Act II. A lot of Albrecht's I've seen are very good at looking like they are on the brink of death an exhaustion but then as soon they start dancing the illusion is destroyed. Kobborg managed to make even his dancing look like the dance of someone about to collapse without compromising any of his technique or elevation. His characterisation flowed right through his solo where he seemed to be dancing for Giselle, looking for her offstage and then pleading with Myrtha and the other willis. And the supported hops in arabesque that Giselle performs across the stage are amazing, it truly looks like she is floating across and not being supported at all.

My only gripe is that I was sitting too far away from the stage to clearly see their faces. If I was so moved by what I could see than I can only imagine what it would have been like closer up. Another disappointment was that the theatre was by no means full. There were at least 5 full rows not filled behind me and I'm sure there were more upstairs not filled which was a real shame. I can't remember coming out of a performance and feeling so moved as I was by Cojocaru and Kobborg.

The Bussell and Cope performance later that night was a full house and the were admirably rewarded. I never thought that Bussell would be a particularly convincing Giselle but I was very agreeably surprised. She was a delight to watch, her youthfulness and of course her wonderful technique was a real revelation. And she really did look mad in her mad scene. I have the feeling she injured herself before her solo in Act I. She disappered off the stage during the pas de six and her dancing was a bit off during her solo but she seemed to have recovered for Act II. I was very moved by her performance in Act II. Again she surprised me with her dramatic skills. This time I was seated very close to the stage and the expressions on her face were very clear and heartfelt.

Cope gave a technically accomplished performance but for me he didn't project much emotion to the audience. It's interesting to see the different interpretations of Albrecht, in many ways I think that Albrecht is more of a key figure in the ballet than Giselle and the way that he is interpreted can have a major impact on the ballet dramatically. Cope's Albrecht was more of a cad than Kobborg's, he wasn't as youthful and he appeared to be playing with Giselle and not genuinely in love with her.

This production of Giselle was much more satisfying than Swan Lake. I have never seen it danced with such heart and real emotion. The role of Hilarion was unusually well characterised, he became an important player in the scene and not just a little bit role. The willis were wonderfully synchronised, something they lacked in Swan Lake, and the sight of them condemning Hilarion to death brought shivers to my spine. Marianela Nunez shone in the role of Myrtha. She posesses a very strong, assured techinque with wonderful balances and her coldness could have frozen the sun! Zenaida Yanowsky in the second cast was also a very detached, cool Myrtha, although I found her hands and feet to be a bit messy at times. Just a small note, I have never seen any dancer perform the penchee in arabesque fully, without wobbling or coming out of it off balance. Both Myrtha and Giselle perform one in Act II and neither Bussell, Cojocaru, Nunez or Yanowsky could do it. But that would be my only disappointment with their dancing.

Overall a fantastic production of Giselle. If only all ballets were this moving and real. Now we only have the Triple Bill to go before they leave Sydney